Jade Constantine
by Brightfire15
Summary: Female Constantine story. For the past two years, demon exorcist Jade Constantine's fought Rising Darkness and struggled to rescue a child's soul from perdition, but it seems all her efforts are for naught when she's given an ominous warning of what's to come. To save the future, Jade must reconcile with her past and draw on the strength of those around her. Happy Halloween! R&R!
1. Part One

**Jade Constantine**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

 _It's said that God has a plan for all of us, that He has a reason for everything that happens. People usually believe that, especially at times when they crave a reason for why bad things happen to them. But not me. The way I see it, God's a kid with an ant farm. He's not planning anything. At least, not for me…_

— _J.C._

 _ **He who possesses the Spear of Destiny holds the fate of the world in his hands**_

 _ **The Spear of Destiny has been missing since the end of World War Two…**_

The sky was clear and bright and the autumn breeze was brisk as it blew the many colored leaves around the area. It promised to be a perfectly trouble-free day but that couldn't be further from the truth for a young male taxi driver and his passenger.

The faded yellow taxi was pulling up to an old apartment building in the not-so-friendly part of town. It was a scuzzy place and no one would go there if they could avoid it, but the taxi driver's passenger had unavoidable business to attend to there.

When the taxi parked, an Englishwoman in her mid-thirties emerged from the taxi. She was quite tall and slender with an oval-shaped face and simple features. She had long, dirty blond hair tied in a ponytail and blue eyes that were either like blue fire or the bright sky of a summer's day depending on her mood. She was dressed in a crisp white shirt with a red tie on her neck, black dress pants and black boots and her trademark: a cream-colored trench coat that went past her knees.

She was smoking a cigarette, but she put it out by grounding it into the asphalt with the heel of her boot before going into the apartment building. She knew she needed to act quickly. The screaming was getting louder.

Inside the apartment building, the staircase and hall were filled with tenants trying to get a glimpse of what was going on, to see the unexplainable in action. Her sudden entrance did not go unnoticed and because she was a stranger, most of the tenants gave her suspicious looks before they stepped out of her path when she gave them a look that made them recoil in fear. Those who did not, she merely shoved aside. The woman had no patience for politeness, no time for tact, and no fear of anything. This woman was the infamous Jade Constantine—exorcist, demonologist and mistress of the dark arts.

When Jade reached her destination, apartment 7B, she kicked down the door and burst in. An older woman was in the corner, crying and babbling hysterically; Gary Lester, Jade's old friend and the one who'd telephoned her, was panicking; and worst of all, a young girl no more than twelve years of age, was tied to the bed. She was thrashing about and screaming, and her fingernails were black. She was possessed and by a real nasty son of a bilge rat too.

Gary looked relieved when he saw Jade and rushed to her side. "Thank heavens you're here."

Jade shot him a disgusted look, causing Gary to give Jade a wide berth.

Jade ignored the panic-stricken mother as she touched the child's face. Smoke hissed beneath Jade's fingertips, but she took no notice of it. Instead, her demeanor changed as she leaned right next to the ear of the little girl and whispered, "I'm speaking to the entity within. This is Constantine. _Jade_ Constantine, you demonic filth."

The girl ceased struggling for a moment as her eyes shot open, revealing nothing but pitch-blackness, another sign of possession.

Jade smirked. "How you doing, you git?"

The girl began thrashing about again, practically foaming at the mouth as she tried and failed to attack Jade.

" _Te trucidabo_ _!"_ she snarled.

"Not if I do it first, mate," said Jade. "Now, what say we see who we got here?" She whipped out a keychain crammed with medallions and flipped through each of the sculptured Saints until the girl reacted to one by trying to look away. Jade stared at the Saint responsible, genuinely puzzled by this reaction until her face became serious. "Someone get me a mirror. _Now_."

The hysterical mother produced a small compact from her handbag but Jade turned it away.

"No. _Bigger_. _Much_ bigger. At least three feet high. Go find one, ma'am," said Jade. "Gary, help me move this bed towards the window."

The hysterical mother obeyed Jade's orders but Gary just stood there and looked confused.

"Why're you moving—?"

" _NOW!_ " she barked.

Gary nearly jumped a foot before snapping into the action. Together, they moved the bed around to face the window but not without causing quite a bit of damage to the hardwood floor in the process.

Jade then centered on a drapery rope and pulled hard. The drapery hooks exploded off the curtain as she swung open the window and looked down into the alley where Chas's taxi was currently parked.

Not feeling like yelling, Jade whipped out her cell phone and speed dialed Chas. The taxi driver answered on the first ring.

" _Something wrong, Jade?_ " asked Chas.

"You might say that," said Jade, as she glanced over at the possessed girl. "Look, you're going to want to move your car."

" _Uh, dare I ask why?_ "

"Let's just say unless you want some serious damage to it after just getting it fixed, you need to move it, ASAP," said Jade.

Chas sighed. " _Okay, fine. On it._ " He sounded like he didn't want to do it, but Chas knew better than to disobey Jade's orders when it came to this line of business. So, he parked the taxi on the far end of the parking lot. " _It's far away from the window. Is that better?_ "

"Perfect, mate. See you in a bit," said Jade, as she hung up.

Jade thread the drapery rope through the fire escape railing, back through the window and then looped it over the ceiling fan. She climbed onto the bed and leaned over the girl whose eyes had closed again and she was shaking even more badly than before. The girl seemed to be going into shock, she wasn't strong enough for this.

Having no other choice, Jade slapped her, causing the girl's eyes to pop back open.

" _Amar natash bow basarz!_ Rescind from the flesh, I command thee!" she yelled. When the girl spat at Jade, her temper flared. "That's it. Time to go home. _Tiempo para morir!_ "

The girl's body suddenly pulsed half again large, causing Jade to recoil for a heartbeat.

Quickly snapping back into action, Jade resumed chanting. " _Amar natash bow basar!_ "

There was another pulse and this time a shape was clearly seen expanding under the child's skin as if the demon inside were trying burst right through.

Jade backed off for a moment, watching as the shape rippled through the girl's flesh like fingers caressing from the other side. Jade shot Gary a questioning look, but the man just shrugged and looked baffled. It wasn't supposed to happen like that. What was going on here? Then Jade remembered.

 _The Rising Darkness_ , she thought to herself. _It's getting worse._ Whatever was happening here, once again, the normal rules didn't apply. The Rising Darkness's power had grown stronger and now it was infecting an innocent child.

The mirror Jade requested then arrived. It was a large antique and so heavy that it took the hysterical mother the help of four men to get into the room. They lifted it up over the bed as per Jade's instruction. Jade ducked as the men worked and then settled on the girl when it was raised over and tied off. She straddled the girl, positioning her head between the girl's and the mirror above the two of them.

"Now, close your eyes, all of you. And whatever happens, do _not_ look into the mirror," she ordered. After making sure everyone had closed their eyes tight, Jade turned back to the possessed girl. " _Amar natash bow basar!_ Rescind from the flesh, I command thee!"

The girl reacted. The shape that Jade had seen earlier reappeared and contorted the girl's body all out of proportion.

Jade unblocked the mirror for a moment and the girl was reflected inside, but it wasn't just the girl's reflection inside the mirror. There was something else there as well. The surface of the mirror flexed in the hands of the men and one of them started to open his eyes.

"NO!" yelled Jade. "KEEP YOUR EYES _SHUT,_ YOU BLOODY FOOL!"

If that fool didn't shut his eyes, they were all in danger.

The man reclosed his eyes but it was too late. The girl screamed and broke free of her straps. She rose up and grabbed Jade tight around the throat. Her nails dug so deep into the flesh of Jade's neck that tiny droplets of blood began to appear.

Jade struggled to breathe and stay conscious as she put her hands over the girl's mouth, cutting off the girl's air supply. Now it was just a question as to who would pass out first. The girl released her grip on Jade's throat as she began to go into shock. She was close to death and would not survive if Jade didn't hurry and save her.

Jade gasped for breath for the briefest of moments before resuming her work. "Look! Look at me!" When the girl didn't respond, Jade took the medallion that had caused her earlier reaction and pressed it against her forehead. The girl's eyes snapped wide open and Jade unblocked the mirror again and the mirror's image changed drastically.

"Smile pretty, you vain git," hissed Jade.

The girl's reflection was no longer that of a young child, instead it was that of a seriously ticked off high-level demon. One who knew that it'd just got suckered in. The mirror vibrated wildly in the men's grip. The demon's reflection was rippling the glass, bending it outward into three-dimensional space as the girl began to take her last breath.

"Now, Gary. Now!" yelled Jade.

Gary pulled the rope with all three-hundred-plus pounds as Jade said to the demon, "Oh, and do me a favor, will you? Tell your boss to drop dead, when you're down there."

The demon lunged for Jade but the mirror was jerked into motion. It swung right out the window, only to catch on a sliver of wood.

"Oh, no you don't!"

Jade jumped up and helped push the mirror free. The mirror fell seven stories, tumbling end over, sunlight beams glanced off the glass projecting the image of the demon into the city landscape; onto buildings, sidewalks, and a passing truck until all three hundred pounds of iron and glass came crashing down exactly where Chas's taxi had been earlier. The demon's image shattered on impact, glass splintered into millions of diamond-like fragments that choked air. The groan of something evil reverberated into the city beyond.

The girl gasped, her eyes wide and a clear chocolate brown and her fingernails no longer black, displaying that she was a regular girl again. She then burst into tears as her mother rushed to her side and held her tight.

Relieved as she was that the girl was safe and all was right, Jade's heart still clenched with pain at the sight of the mother and daughter embracing. When the mother gave Jade a grateful look, Jade gave her a polite smile and nod before pushing past Gary and departing from the room. She'd had a long journey and suddenly felt quite tired.

As Jade left, she slipped into the kitchenette for a glass of water. The exorcism had left her feeling parched and her frequent coughing fits of late weren't helping much either. As she downed the glass of water, she glanced at the refrigerator and noticed a child's crayon drawing taped to the door. It was just a drawing of a stick figure poking another in the side with a long stick, but something about it unsettled Jade and if there was one thing she'd learned in her line of work, it was to always trust her instincts. She tugged the picture off the fridge and folded it into her pants pocket.

On her way down the sitars, she encountered the lingering tenants. Those who weren't horrified and scared out of their wits were murmuring soft words of gratitude and looked at her in awe and tried to touch her or shake her hand. Jade ignored all the stares and whispers she was receiving until she sensed another's presence and looked up. A man in a slick suit, obviously not a rent-payer, was at the top of the staircase, and was flicking a coin between his fingers. Jade recognized him as Balthazar, a half-breed demon that she greatly despised. She shot him an intense glare that he returned before disappearing, unnoticed by the building's tenants.

The minute she was outside, she leaned against the wall, awaiting Gary's arrival.

She knew he'd come. He'd been right behind her on her way out collecting money from the grateful tenants. Plus, the moron knew that if he _didn't_ come, Jade would kill him.

When Gary finally showed up, Jade grabbed Gary's arm and pulled him into the alley before pinning him to the wall by the lapels of his jacket.

"Jade, please, don't be mad!" begged Gary. He knew a fair bit about magic and was skilled in the trade, but his power was nothing compared to Jade's and he pitied anyone on the receiving end of her infamous anger. "Please, don't kill me!

" _What_ did I tell you about confronting demons without me?" growled Jade.

"Not to," admitted Gary.

"Okay. So why did you?" demanded Jade.

Gary struggled for a reply, causing Jade to growl in frustration and then she picked his pocket of the money he'd been paid.

"Two weeks! _Two bloody weeks_ I'm out of the country and you decide to go and get yourself killed! I ought to take it all and leave you with none of it and save you from yourself!" she growled, after she'd counted up and taken her half. Normally, Jade did her type of work for free, but being a do-gooder didn't always mean hot food on her table or a roof over her head, so sometimes she had to make people cough up a fee for her services or she did a con job. " _What_ in the devil's name were you thinking, mate? Do you have _any_ idea what would've happened if I hadn't shown up when I did?"

"Well, how was I supposed to know some high-level scum was behind the possession? I'm not the great Jade Constantine. How was I supposed to know?" protested Gary.

"You're not supposed to _know_ , because you're not supposed to be _involved!_ " snapped Jade. "I told you to get out. I told you to quit this life, that it was too dangerous and you'll only get yourself killed, but you don't bloody listen to me!"

Gary seemed taken aback by Jade's attitude and she couldn't blame him. She knew that Gary knew of her strong disapproval that he'd continued living a life that consisted of fighting against the dark forces, but she'd never been quite so angry with him before. She also knew that she couldn't entirely fault Gary for doing what he did as he wasn't only doing this out of the goodness of his heart, but also because he needed something other than booze and drugs to ease off the guilt he felt for his involvement in Newcastle.

"It's my life! You can't stop me from doing this!" protested Gary. "What's wrong with you? We did good. We didn't fail. We didn't—oh, that's it, isn't it?" Gary's face fell and he looked ashamed and sympathetic. "It's today, isn't it? Crap, Jade, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have forgotten. Today's the anniversary of _her_."

Jade was silent but the dark, saddened look in her eyes answered him.

Cases involving kids were a particularly sore spot for Jade. Four years ago, she'd failed to save a little girl, Astra, from a demon and it had haunted her ever since. No matter how many times she was successful saving other children from demons; her failure with Astra left her riddled with guilt and grief. It didn't help that today was the anniversary of that tragic day. It usually left Jade in a foul mood as anger and avoidance was Jade's way of dealing.

Jade sighed. "Gary, mate, listen. I know you're trying to make up for what happened, but the fact is, what happened at Newcastle is all on _me_ , okay? I'm the _last_ person you should want to be like, especially after that. You stay on this path; you're only going to get yourself killed and I've got enough ghosts following me around."

Jade was no stranger to loss, having lost a number of friends and innocent civilians in the life she led, but she still felt the pain and she had no desire for Gary to join in the mass of losses she'd suffered. Gary was an idiot, but he was still her friend.

Gary's face softened as he squeezed Jade's shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere, Jade."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, mate," murmured Jade. In this line of work, one could be alive one minute and dead the next. She sighed once again as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, if you absolutely _insist_ on going through with this, than you either get someone to go with you no matter how big or small the case is, or you call me before you do anything stupid. Because if you don't; I'll lock you up where no one'll ever find you. Got it?"

"Got it," said Gary, quickly.

Satisfied with Gary's answer, Jade departed.

XXX

It was one of those perfect days with perfect clouds, so clear you feel like you reach out and touch heaven. It was the kind of day you spent relaxing in the sun and not have a care in world, the kind of day a mother would spend with her child, but it was not so for one homicide detective of the local police department.

Cheryl Masters' weary eyes opened. She was on her belly hidden between track tiles and shadows even deeper. She gripped her police issued nine millimeter gun tightly as she was pinned down, unable to move.

"You still with me, Cheryl?"

Cheryl's partner, Detective Jim Corrigan, was thirty feet down the same track. Their voices were echoing off the curved walls and came from everywhere. How either of them got there wasn't important, how they were going to get out of there was.

"Yeah," muttered Cheryl.

"So what's next, partner? We going to do a full marathon?" asked Corrigan.

Intermittent radio chattered buzzed from Cheryl's radio, sparing her from replying. She signaled to Corrigan, who then cautiously rose up with her. They were not alone. The murder suspect they'd been chasing, a Satanist turned serial killer, was down there with them.

Instinctively, Cheryl held her gun up in the air and aimed it at the tunnel entrance. "This is the police! Put your weapon on the tracks and step out with your hands above your hands!"

"Or how about _you_ show yourself and I put a bullet in your skull just like I did hers?" shouted a rough male voice.

Cheryl's fingers flexed around the trigger of her gun. "That's not going to happen."

"You sure about that? How many shots you got left?"

Cheryl didn't reply. She'd done the math. She knew she only had one bullet left, which meant she only had one shot left. If she missed, she was a dead woman unless Corrigan still had some left in his own gun. She had to make this count.

"Sir, this is your last warning. Put your weapon on the tracks and come out with your hands above your head, now," she ordered.

Suddenly the ground began to vibrate and the tunnel started to glow.

"Well, ain't this a peach?"

Cheryl looked back and saw several shadows of figures waving far off. Her radio was flooded with incoherent chatter and Corrigan looked frantic as he grabbed her arm.

"Cheryl, we've got to get out of here! The train's coming! Clear the track!"

Cheryl shook off her partner. " _You_ go. I'm not leaving without him!"

She peaked over the train. There was still no sign of her murder suspect and the train was coming into view, its beam shot through the tunnel turning every particle of dust into a supernova. The sound was deafening.

"C'mon, Detective! Step into the light and be saved!"

Cheryl looked back, and squinted into the brilliant light. She gripped her gun and then spun around and aimed, just as her suspect appeared with his own gun. She fired and he did the same as they both dove off the track. His bullet ricocheted behind her and hers found its mark. He went right down into the train's path.

Cheryl rolled over on the side of the tracks as she caught her breath. She closed her eyes as the train roared past in a staccato blur. She tried and failed to ignore the pangs of guilt she felt. Once again, she'd taken a life in self-defense on the job and once again, she wondered just how much greater the stain on her soul was. Most cops went twenty years without firing their guns, but Cheryl wasn't like most cops. Somehow, she was always in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Some hours later, Cheryl found herself washing up in the girls' locker room after her paperwork had been completed.

She felt pained as she slipped off her shoulder holster and looked at her reflection in the large mirror behind the sink. Though she was only in her thirties, tired aging eyes were staring back at her. She disliked it, but it was only naturally considering the hardships she'd known. Both her parents were dead, she hadn't had any contact with her estranged younger sibling in sixteen years, she'd been widowed a few years ago, her daughter was still a patient at Ravenscar, and her career choice often left her riddled with nightmares and guilt and sorrow.

"Gutsy move out there, Cheryl."

Cheryl glanced at Corrigan, standing in the doorway. "You know you're not allowed in here."

"Technically, I'm not in here. I'm just holding the door open," said Corrigan.

Cheryl chuckled. "Okay, then. So, 'gutsy'? That's a new one."

They exchanged a look.

"You're alive. Bad guy's dead. No point in using the other words," said Corrigan.

"Thanks," said Cheryl.

The penny was in the air.

"Even though it was reckless, irresponsible, stupid—"

And the penny dropped.

"I knew you still cared."

Though they were good friends and worked well together, there was never a time when Corrigan didn't give Cheryl some kind of reprimand for her tendency to be reckless while on the job. It was his way of showing her that he cared.

"It's not a joke, Cheryl," said Corrigan, sharply. "You're a darn good cop, the best I've ever worked with, but one of these days…"

"I know. Nobody's luck lasts forever," said Cheryl. Yet, somehow her luck was surprisingly strong. She always knew when to duck, when to fire, and her instincts were almost always right. She hadn't been injured once. She couldn't explain it.

"Exactly. Anyway, just be careful. You're just like…" Corrigan's voice wandered off.

"Like who?" asked Cheryl, curiously.

"Doesn't matter," said Corrigan. "Don't be so reckless anymore. You don't have nine lives."

Cheryl rolled her eyes as she nodded.

Corrigan then left.

As Cheryl turned to depart and head home for the night, she spotted something strange out of the corner of her eye. Her reflection in the mirror didn't move with her and for a moment, the eyes in the reflection seemed to be pitch black. But when Cheryl turned and looked at herself properly in the mirror, her reflection looked back at her with the same expression and same exact looks. It was perfectly normal.

 _Did I imagine that? Or did something from…_ Cheryl shuddered and put that thought out of her head before she could finish that sentence. _There's no need to go down that path. Once I do, I'll never stop. It was just my imagination, that's all._

But somehow, she didn't feel entirely convinced as she slammed the locker room door shut and went home.

XXX

The sun was beginning to set as Chas's taxi parked in front of a luxurious penthouse apartment building.

Jade emerged from the taxi with a large duffle bag slung over her shoulder. She walked around to the driver's window.

"Stay here. I won't be long."

"Fine by me," said Chas. He pulled out a magazine from the glove box,

He had no desire to set foot in the store as he disliked Jade's ally. He found her creepy and hadn't the slightest idea why Jade put up with her.

Jade looked amused as she entered the building and went to the top floor. When she knocked on the intended door, it swung open to reveal its resident, a stunningly gorgeous woman with flawless beauty and a seductive nature, everything one expected from a succubus, and not just any succubus.

Chantinelle, or "Ellie" as she was more commonly known, was a succubus who'd made the mistake of falling in love with an angel that she'd been assigned to seduce and kill. The love affair had ended badly with the angel's death and Ellie's exile from perdition. She'd been literally thrown out of perdition and ended up hiding in the sewers of London where Jade had found her. Jade took pity and nursed her back to health and the two ladies had been allies ever since.

"Jade, darling. Lovely to see you. Do come in," said Ellie, as she ushered Jade inside. "Can I get you anything? I was just about to have a glass of gin."

"I'd love some of that, if you wouldn't mind, luv," said Jade.

Ellie nodded and took Jade into her kitchen where she poured them both a shot of gin.

"Can't believe you're back so soon," said Ellie. "I thought you'd be gone at least a month. You were only away two weeks."

"What can I say, Ellie? India's a real drain," said Jade. She gratefully accepted the glass of gin as she placed the bag on the island counter, and then downed it. "Ahh. And the drink's a lot better here, too."

"I'll bet," said Ellie. She placed her shot glass on the table. "So, what do you need?"

"Everything you've got," said Jade, in a serious tone.

Ellie paused in what she was doing and raised an eyebrow. "I take it the Rising Darkness is getting worse?"

"I'm surprised to hear you ask. Don't your contacts keep you up to date?" An exiled succubus Ellie was, but Jade found it hard to believe someone like her wouldn't be gossiping over what was going on in perdition.

"I prefer not to discuss such things while I'm enjoying myself," said Ellie. "And besides, I haven't heard much, except for how much certain people dislike you."

Jade rolled her eyes. "That's yesterday's news, Ells. I'm a difficult woman to love."

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful," said Ellie. She narrowed her eyes. "Although, you _do_ look like you could stand to loosen up a little. What's got you so worked up?"

Jade's face darkened. "Case today hit close to home. I exorcised a real nasty son of a bilge rat from a little girl today. The freak was a bit more spirited than usual."

"Ah," said Ellie, understanding. She pulled out some items from her pantry. In addition to her usual line of work, Ellie dabbled in magical artifacts, often locating certain objects for Jade to use in her cases. The first item she produced was a frayed rag, and then some glass containers. "How spirited was this freakshow?"

"Spirited enough that if I hadn't shown up when I did, the son of a bilge rat would've come out right through her," said Jade, grimly. "And that's _not_ supposed to happen."

"Considering the rule book's been thrown out, I'm not surprised. And let's not forget, my kind aren't supposed to fall in love with angels, either," said Ellie. "Normally, you mortals are just finger puppets to the bosses, elaborate costumes, nothing more. I'll see what I can find out from my friends, if you'd like, but I doubt they'll say much."

Jade sighed. _Why am I not surprised?_ She was disappointed to hear Ellie didn't have anything new to tell her as she'd been hoping to have a good excuse to not meet her next appointment, but it seemed luck was not on her side. Still, at least she could gather more intel at her next stop.

"Let's get on with this. What've you got?"

"Well, I've got your stone fragments from the Road to Damascus, dust from the Dead Sea, scrolls, and take a look at this." She held up a little matchbox with a smiling bug graphic. "Screech beetle from Mount Sinai. Shake it."

Jade took the box and shook it, but nothing spectacular happened as the beetle fluttered about inside and its wings created a high-pitched whirl. Jade raised an eyebrow.

"Don't look at me like that," said Ellie, annoyed. "Just because even you can't hear it, doesn't mean others can't. To one like the Fallen, it's like fingernails on a chalkboard. Drives them bonkers and leaves them at your mercy."

"Indeed," said Jade. She could see the usefulness of the creature; but she failed to see why it had to be an insect. Jade _hated_ insects. "So, what else have you got?"

Ellie pulled out a set of sculptured brass knuckles, which were actually solid gold and engraved with religious markings. Jade took them and tried them on. They were a perfect fit.

"The gold was blessed by the Bishop Anicott during the Crusades."

Jade spotted a foot-long copper tube in the bag and pulled it out, tightly gripping the bicycle handle on the end.

"Watch it there," warned Ellie.

Jade raised an eyebrow. "This puny little thing? Really, Ells?" She gave it a small squeeze and _whoosh!_ Ten-foot flames belched out of it.

"Dragon's breath," said Ellie, smirking.

Jade looked impressed. "I thought you couldn't get it anymore."

"A girl like me has her ways," said Ellie, with a teasing look in her eyes.

Jade put it down and then Ellie held up the frayed rag.

"And this little beauty's a piece of the shroud Moses wore to the mountain."

Jade picked it up and raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You're kidding me, right?"

Ellie shook her head. "I don't kid when it comes to stuff like this, Jade. You should know that by now, darling."

Jade opened her mouth to speak but a rather painful and long coughing fit interrupted her. She clutched the edge of the island counter as she tried to catch her breath. Ellie rubbed her back to try and help and then got Jade a glass of water when the coughing finally ceased.

"Thanks," said Jade, hoarsely as she sipped the water.

Ellie looked at Jade in concern. "You all right? You nearly suffocated."

"I'm fine," said Jade, waving her off. "Just a small bug. I'll survive." She'd survived worse than a mere bout of chest congestion. She wasn't about to let some stupid minor illness get the best of her now of all times.

"All the same, take this with you when you leave." Ellie pulled a bottle of cough medicine out of her medicine cabinet and pressed it into Jade's hands. "I'm not about to let you kick the bucket. I'd get bored without you."

"Thanks, Ells," said Jade. Much as she hated to admit it, the cough medicine would actually be quite useful. It might actually help ease off her illness. "But do me a favor, and check the scrolls in Corinthians. See if there are any precedents, anything that might help with the Rising Darkness."

Ellie nodded. "Sure, Jade. Anything else?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah," said Jade. "I've got a big favor to ask."

Ellie looked intrigued as she made herself comfortable on what little space was left on the island counter's surface.

"Listen, I know you miss perdition— _don't_ lie to me!" warned Jade, when Ellie opened her mouth to protest. "I like you plenty and you've done plenty of good since perdition kicked you out, but I know you, Ellie, and I know homesickness when I see it. I've got a way into perdition and I'm willing to let you go home for a bit, _if_ you do me a little favor. Interested?"

"I'm listening," said Ellie. "What kind of favor are we talking about?"

"Oh, nothing major that a woman of your particular talents can't handle. I just want you to use your special charm on your boss into letting Astra go to heaven," said Jade, casually.

Ellie made a horrendous screeching noise and a loud thud was heard as she slid off the counter. "WHAT?! You want me to sweet talk _Lucifer_ into letting Astra, one of his most prized souls, _go?_ Jade, has your brain leaked out your ears? I know I owe you and granted, your offer is tempting, but for Lilith's sake, how can you even _ask_ that? Lucifer won't let Astra go just because someone like _me_ asks him to! He'll only do that if he wants to or if the other boss decides to intervene. Astra's far too valuable to him, and not just because of what she's capable of, but because of her connection to _you_. And believe me, you're the only one he holds above Astra in value."

"I aim to please," said Jade, sarcastically.

"You do just the opposite, actually," said Ellie, ignoring the sarcasm as she placed her hands on her hips. "I've spoken to some old friends, and he's _beyond_ mad at you, especially after today. Think about it—all those saints and martyrs slipping through his grasp, his own foot soldiers sent back to him in chunks and the incident with Papa Midnite's sister—and your repeated defiance, he's going to take all that out on you, Jade. And he's going to enjoy ripping your soul to shreds before he turns you into his personal attack dog."

Jade rolled her eyes. She knew about Lucifer's desire to get a hold of her. It was only to be expected, considering their past history. But she wasn't about to let Lucifer have the satisfaction of claiming her soul.

"So, I take that as a 'no,' then?"

Ellie ignored her. "You're the one soul Lucifer himself is going to actually come up here to collect and you know how much he despises this place."

"Lucy's coming to collect little old me? Oh, gee, how flattering," said Jade, mockingly. It was no surprise that Lucifer was coming to collect Jade's soul personally. She was the biggest thorn in his side, after all. "And as for hating this place, I'm starting to see his point."

Ellie's face softened as she squeezed Jade's shoulder. "Have you gone to see the Snob?"

Jade scowled. "No."

She hadn't had any contact with the Snob in weeks, not since their last disagreement.

"Well, maybe you should. He's not the boss, but he _is_ of high rank. He might just be what you need to get Astra. He owes you, doesn't he?"

"He does," admitted Jade.

"Then I strongly advise you don't let your ego get in the way on this. Just go see him about it and get him to fix that cough of yours, while you're at it. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. I'd miss having someone up here I can…relate to," said Ellie.

Jade gave her a look and then sighed. "Fine. Fine, I'll see the Snob." She knew she was going out a limb asking the Snob for help, but he _did_ owe her a favor and she could always deport him to perdition if it came to that. "Just do me a favor, okay? Keep an eye on things; let me know if anything pops up that I should know about."

Ellie smiled and nodded. "Sure. Now, run along, Jade. It's after sundown I've got plans with my new boyfriends tonight."

Jade held up a hand. "Say no more. Good night, Ellie."

Jade dumped her bag into the trunk of Chas's taxi before sliding into the passenger seat.

She then took the money from Gary out of her trench coat pocket and handed it to Chas. "Cheers, mate. This is to pay for the gas and please consider the rest early birthday money for Geraldine."

"Thanks," said Chas. "You coming to her birthday party next month? You know she'd love it if you were there. There's no one she loves more than her Aunt Jade."

Jade smiled a little. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Jade was rather fond of Chas's daughter and the feeling was mutual. Geraldine called her 'Aunt Jade' and loved spending time with her. Despite the dangers that came with being associated with Jade, Chas and his wife considered Jade family and had made her their daughter's godmother. And although Jade wouldn't say so aloud, spending time with Chas's young child was therapeutic and eased away some of the pain she felt.

"Anymore stops you need to make?" asked Chas.

"Just two more," said Jade. "I've got to deliver something to Gary's, but first I need to make a stop at Papa Midnite's."

Papa Midnite was an African-American witch doctor, and not just _any_ witch doctor, he was the Grand Poohbah of Voodoo. He was the type of man you only went up against if you were incredibly stupid, crazy, brave or more intelligent. But despite his skills and reputation, like Switzerland in World War Two, Midnite was neutral in the fight of good versus evil. He ran a nightclub in town and also did business deals with both mortals and those of the supernatural, offering his services in exchange for money or other jobs.

Chas frowned. "Papa Midnite? I thought you two hated each other."

"We do, but that doesn't mean we can't conduct civil business," said Jade.

When Jade first met Papa Midnite at a poker game, she'd conned him out of fifty thousand dollars and the voodoo priest had despised Jade ever since, seeing her as merely a con artist with skills. But to be fair, the feeling of dislike was mutual as Jade found Midnite an arrogant man and she strongly disliked his type of magic and his methods. More than once, they'd found themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield, but they were known to sometimes, (albeit rather grudgingly) work together to vanquish a common foe.

Chas raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You two can be civil?"

"Well, maybe 'civil' is a bit of a strong word," admitted Jade. When it came to Jade and Midnite, being 'civil' meant they weren't trying to kill each other while still being sarcastic and making wisecracks and the occasional insult. "But the fact remains, we made a deal and I prefer to honor my agreements. I get him this stupid magical doodad, and he lets me ask his sister about the Rising Darkness."

"Ah," said Chas, understanding. "Okay if I wait out here while you talk?"

Jade nodded. "Whatever floats your boat, mate."

Papa Midnite's club was in the more ritzy part of town.

It was a club so exclusive, there wasn't even a line outside, just a pair of bouncers waiting to roll someone just for fun. They looked at Jade with immense distrust and dislike. One of them held out his hand and made a beckoning motion.

Jade pulled back her sleeves, revealing her tattoos. "It's me, boys. Let me in. Midnite's expecting me, and I don't think you'd like it if he made you two into voodoo zombies because you didn't let me in, now would you?"

The two bouncers exchanged looks and then stepped aside, allowing Jade entrance.

"Thank you, gentleman," said Jade.

She slipped inside.

Music flooded Jade's senses as she walked through the exclusive establishment. It's a clash of cultures and influences not easily dated; a retro speakeasy for the new millennium. Jade walked through a maze of passages while the fantasies of a twisted city played out in the shadows. She paused as she spotted a clan of suited businessmen in a corner, showing off for several ladies. One filled a line of shot glasses from a pitcher of water. Another waved his hand over them, turning the water into red wine. The ladies were quite impressed and drank up, while Jade just shook her head. Amateur conjuring tricks, not that impressive in her book.

Jade resumed her journey to Midnite's office. She went up a long flight of stairs until she stopped in front of two very large doors. The doors' surface was ancient, the wood petrified over countless centuries. Jade placed her fingers into the gnarled fold and closed her eyes. " _Numquam leadatur a morsu._ "

A loud groan bellowed from the rigid seams but the doors didn't budge.

 _Tosspot changed the code again. Just when I think he's run out of ways to tick me off._

Jade pounded on the door. "Midnite! Unless you want me to deport this piece of junk to perdition where you can't get it, you'll open this door this instant!" She wasn't bluffing.

The doors immediately swung open.

"Thank you," said Jade.

 _The things I have to do around here!_

Jade swept into Midnite's jungle of an office, which was painted bright red and full of dark red leather furniture, ancient magical relics, trinkets from his homeland and the tools of his trade in voodoo magic. But what stood out most of all was what stood in the center of the room. It was a meticulously-crafted orrery, a scientific sculpture that normally displayed the solar system. But the planets in the orrery were ancient relics with symbols and names such as " _material_ " and " _astral_ " and " _spiritual_ " and " _iconic_ " and so on. And the globe in the center read, " _creator_." This was an orrery of the forces of the universe and it wasn't moving.

Midnite was kneeling by an altar, his eyes were closed as he chanted. " _Et separator a plasmate tuo, ut num quam laedatur amorsu antique serpents_ …"

"Deciding what color to paint this jungle of an office of yours again?" said Jade, loudly.

Midnite immediately ceased chanted and stood up to face her.

"You're early," he said.

"The early bird gets the worm," said Jade, as she dropped her bag onto the floor. "Besides, I got tired of spending your money."

"But I'm sure you spent enough."

"Well, I do have a certain standard of living."

"Tell me you found it," said Midnite, impatiently.

"I found the vault," said Jade.

Midnite's eyes narrowed. "That's not what I asked."

Jade looked innocently at him. "Hey, can I help it if Buddhist monks don't take bribes?"

Midnite's face darkened with anger as he strode towards Jade, only to stop cold when Jade zipped open the bag and calmly pulled out a small ebony and gold relic.

"Gotcha," said Jade, smirking. She couldn't help it. She never passed up the chance to mess with Papa Midnite. "Yeesh. Learn to take a joke, mate, would ya?"

A rather reluctant grin cracked Midnite's stern features as he took the relic and held it in his thick fingers and stared at it breathlessly, like a gaunt figure bracing itself against the cosmic wind. "Second century depiction of a sephiroth in the fourth realm…"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure it's all _fascinating_ ," said Jade, her voice dripping with boredom and sarcasm. "But if you don't mind, I'd like to get on with it. I upheld my end of the bargain. Now, it's your turn. Let me speak with your sister. I think after doing this and saving her from perdition, a little chitchat's the least you can do."

Some months ago during one Jade's failed attempts to rescue Astra from perdition, Jade had ended up pulling out the soul of Luna Midnite, Papa Midnite's twin sister. Because Jade was unable to send Luna's soul to heaven and unwilling to send an innocent back to perdition, Jade had to turn alternative methods to keep Luna alive and not "wrong" like many before her who'd been resurrected. With Luna's consent, Jade created a new body for Luna's soul to reside in and subjected her to her twin brother's immortality curse.

Having succeeded where Papa Midnite had failed for more than two centuries, he became indebted to Jade and grudgingly admitted he felt some gratitude towards her for her selflessness. But despite it, tensions were still high between them.

Midnite ignored Jade as he slid the relic precisely onto one of the many rods jutting from the universal orrery.

"It should counter the iconic plane," muttered Midnite.

Jade bit back a growl of frustration and instead rolled her eyes. "Bloody thing's never going to balance," she muttered under her breath.

Midnite released it and the complex machine actually started to move, to turn.

"It's authentic. It works," he breathed.

"Midnite, some time today, would be nice!" said Jade, impatiently. She couldn't have cared less about Midnite's stupid doohickey. She'd had a long day and she wanted her payment. "Are you going to pay me and let me speak with your sister or not?"

Midnite snapped out of his admiration of his working orrery and gave Jade a look before reaching into his tuxedo and handing her a thick wad of hundred-dollar bills.

"Better not be any Washingtons in here this time, mate," grumbled Jade, as she quickly counted up the money and made sure it was promised amount.

"Why did you cut your trip short?" asked Midnite.

"None of your beeswax," snapped Jade, as she stuffed the money into her coat pocket. She didn't discuss personal matters with Papa Midnite. "Now, where's Luna?"

"She's in her bedroom," said Midnite.

"Thank you," said Jade.

And with that, she left Midnite and went straight for the other door in his office. It was a magic door, enchanted to go to whichever room in the building the user desired and now that Jade knew where to find Luna, she could use it.

Jade gripped the door handle and thought of Luna's bedroom before knocking. When she heard a familiar voice on the other side of it, she swung it open.

Sitting in an armchair reading a book was a beautiful African-American woman with silky black hair and brown eyes, dressed in a dark blue dress and gold jewelry. She looked up from her book and smiled softly as Jade entered the room.

"Jade," said Luna, warmly.

"Luna," said Jade, as the two women embraced. "Glad to see you're doing well."

"As I am you, my friend," said Luna. Despite Jade's dislike of her brother, she and Luna had become friends since the latter's rescue from perdition. "What is it I can do for you?"

Jade's smile faded and she became serious. "I need to ask you about the Rising Darkness. I've been fighting it for over year, but it's just getting worse. The rule book's been thrown out. If I'm to stop this, I need to know more about what I'm dealing with."

Luna's features became etched with concern. "Can you not ask yourself? Surely a woman with your connections…"

"Even I've got limits, Luna. Just because I've because I've got access to that place doesn't mean the boss's top lackeys will speak to me about what the bloody heck is going on," interrupted Jade. "But they'll have no qualms in speaking with a former cell mate. I know it's a lot to ask, but I wouldn't unless it was necessary."

Luna was quiet for a moment. "I will do as you ask. But be warned, the answers you seek may do more harm than good."

"At this point, I sincerely doubt that," said Jade.

Luna raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she made the necessary preparations. She made markings on the floor, lit candles and placed a bowl of oil in the center of it all. She then joined Jade's hands with hers and then chanted in an ancient tongue.

" _Mimi nina akizungumza na nguvu za giza ya kupotea!_ Heed my call O Dark Ones and give the answers that we seek!"

Luna's eyes then turned bright gold and the bowl of oil became alit with black fire that rose up to the ceiling and nearly scalded their faces. Moments later, the fire was gone as was the oil and Luna's face was grave as she let go of Jade's hands.

"The ritual was success. I spoke with those you sought," she said. "I have the answers you seek."

"And?" pressed Jade.

"They gave me a message to deliver. All your efforts are in vain," said Luna, gravely. "The Rising Darkness will arrive soon. It will be heralded by one who shares your blood and aided by one you call friend that has betrayed you."

Jade showed no outward sign that Luna's news unsettled her greatly. To know that someone who shared her blood and someone she'd been wrong to trust were behind the Rising Darkness and that all her efforts in the last two years had been for naught was more than she could've imagined. Still, at least she knew where to start looking now. She didn't know of whom Luna spoke of, but she had her suspicions, which was more than enough for now.

"Well, I wouldn't say my efforts are in vain," said Jade. "After all, I don't play if I can't win."

Despite Luna's ominous warning, Jade refused to let this beat her. She _would_ meet the ones behind the Rising Darkness and she _would_ defeat them, just like she'd defeated every other rotten scumbag that had crossed her path.

After thanking Luna for her time, Jade went on her way.

She'd just dug out a fresh ciggy when she stopped in her tracks at the sight of Balthazar conversing with Midnite.

"And just what the bleeding devil are you doing here, you demonic swine?" she demanded.

Midnite narrowed his eyes at Jade's sharp tone but Jade paid him no attention as Balthazar gave her a patronizing look.

"Good evening, Constantine. I take it you're still sore about Manhattan," he said.

Balthazar was a half-breed—half-human, half-demon. He was not the kind of person anyone with morals would want to be around as he'd fully embraced his demonic heritage. He had a rather infamous reputation for making Faustian deals with naïve and desperate mortals and he made a fortune in dealing with his fellow demons, offering them protection from people like Jade.

Jade had a personal beef with Balthazar. When she'd been working a case with Chas in Manhattan, Balthazar decided to collect on a bounty that had placed on Jade's head and he'd used Chas as bait to capture her. Chas survived and the contract on Jade's head was cancelled, but Chas had nearly died and in retaliation, Jade nearly killed Balthazar. Unfortunately, the little weasel had escaped before Jade could deliver the final blow and Jade had been gunning for him ever since.

Jade looked disgustedly at Balthazar before shooting Midnite and incredulous look. "Bad enough you let all sorts come here to deal with you and do crap knows what, but now you're letting in this piece of crap?"

"Perks of being a primary investor," sneered Balthazar.

" _Excuse me?_ " spluttered Jade. She knew Midnite could be dirty, but willingly working with evil half-demons like Balthazar? That was _beyond_ low.

Midnite shot her a warning look.

"Oh, I should've known. This is exactly the kind of stupid stunt I'd expect from you, you hypocritical tosspot!" said Jade, agitated. "All your talk of balance and yet, sometimes you are no better than this piece of scum!"

"Things change. Balances shift. Get used to it, Constantine," said Balthazar.

Jade glared. "Not while I'm still breathing, you half-breed filth!" she hissed.

Balthazar scoffed. "Well, then I won't have to wait long, now will I? And I wouldn't be so insulting, if you were you. After all, I'm not the only one who fits that rather rude description you just made, now am I?"

"Just the only one of us who's soulless and can be deported to perdition," retorted Jade, as fire balls glowed in her hands. She was finding it difficult not to try and incinerate Balthazar right then and there. "Which, by the way, you've yet to give me a good reason not to, especially since this morning when you just _happened_ to show up at the same building where I was exorcising a demon from a little girl. Mind telling me what was about?"

Midnite's eyes narrowed. "He did _what?_ " While Midnite was neutral, he took no pleasure in the sufferings of innocents or children. "Explain yourself, Balthazar."

Balthazar's face was unreadable. "My business is my own and none of yours."

Midnite did not take kindly to this and after taking a small doll out of his pocket, he whacked the stomach with a small hammer. Balthazar groaned in pain as he doubled over.

"Did you think me so foolish that I would not be prepared to protect myself and others from you when we agreed to work together?" said Midnite, sternly. " _No one_ who works for me or _with_ me harms innocents or children, Balthazar!"

"I did nothing to the wretched child!" hissed Balthazar.

"But you knew what was happening and did nothing. It's the same as far as I'm concerned," hissed Midnite. "Now, because of our agreement, I shan't terminate our contract yet, but you are not to set foot on any of my properties again and if I find out you've crossed the line, I _will_ end you. Is that clear?"

Balthazar glared but nodded.

"Good. Now, get out of my sight!" commanded Midnite.

Balthazar let out a snarl and moved as if to attack but Midnite raised a threatening hand to the voodoo doll again and then Balthazar thought better of it and left the room.

"Next time I see him, I'm deporting his sorry butt to where it belongs," muttered Jade, as she extinguished the fire in her hands and left.

No sooner had she exited Midnite's club, Jade launched into yet another painful coughing fit.

As she struggled to catch her breath, she began to feel frightened and tried to open the bottle of cough medicine, only to drop it to the ground as she hunched over, in agony. After what felt like an eternity, her coughing subsided and fresh air made its way into her lungs, allowing her to breathe. Chas then appeared from the shadows and rubbed her back.

"Thanks," she wheezed.

"No problem," said Chas. He picked up the cough syrup bottle, cleaned it off and then opened it for her.

Jade accepted the bottle with a grateful look before downing a third of it as she would with a bottle of gin or whiskey while Chas looked at her in concern. It was no wonder that he was worried; the frequent coughing fits hadn't been the only symptom Jade had been suffering from of late. She'd had an almost constant chest pain that worsened when she took deep breaths, coughed or laughed; she'd been hoarse; she'd lost quite a bit of weight as well as her appetite, and she'd been feeling more tired than usual.

"Jade, I think it's time I took you to the doctor's," said Chas, firmly. "You're going tomorrow. No arguments."

Jade rolled her eyes and looked agitated and annoyed, but made no form of protest, which spoke volumes on the state of her health as well as her friendship with Chas. If it had been anyone else questioning her health, Jade would've brushed them off and insisted she was fine, but since Chas was the closest thing she had to family, she didn't. Sixteen years ago, she'd run away from home and ended up in London with nothing to her name except the clothes on her back, a pack of cigarettes and an overly sarcastic sense of humor. Chas noticed her on the streets and offered her food and lodgings in exchange for help around the house. Eager for easy food and board and pleased that Chas was accepting her for who and what she was, Jade accepted Chas's offer and became his roommate, not caring about Chas's strange mother, Queenie, and her pet male chimp, Slag.

It was only a short while later that Jade noticed something was off in Chas's household and when she confronted Chas about it, he broke down and confessed that his mother was a dabbler in petty magic and he suspected she'd caused his brother's suicide and his father's death. He also confessed that Queenie and Slag had been making his life miserable for quite some time. Because Chas had no talent for magic, he was powerless against it and was on the verge of a breakdown if it didn't cease before too much longer.

Furious and unwilling to let her one true friend suffer as she had, Jade interfered on Chas's behalf. She discovered that Queenie's pet chimp was actually her familiar and since familiars have a symbiotic link with their witches, Jade knew that the only way for Queenie to be stopped was for the familiar to die. Jade lured Slag down to the docks and tricked him into falling into the water, where he drowned. When Slag died, Queenie did as well, and with her death, her spells became undone and Chas was free of her.

And ever since Queenie's death, Chas had felt beholden to Jade and their friendship continued to grow and strengthen over the next sixteen years. Chas had stuck by Jade's side with unwavering loyalty no matter the dangers and was her longest surviving and greatest friend.

"If you insist, mate. Fine," said Jade. She didn't feel like arguing for once. "But honestly, you're worrying over nothing."

She really was fine. Wasn't she?

XXX

Back at her apartment, instead of sleeping off her stress and guilt like she usually did, Cheryl was having nightmares.

In her dreams, she was stunned to be seeing things through the eyes of her daughter, Gemma, a mental patient at Ravenscar Institution. She wore a hospital gown and was in fever sweat, looking frightened yet determined. The janitor was polishing the floor in the distance and a nurse was checking off charts. Gemma slipped past them with incredible ease.

A metal fire door swung open and Gemma burst out, breathing deep. She ran across the gravel-covered rooftop, almost afraid to look back. She got to the edge and stepped up. A forgotten glass water bottle was already there, and when she accidentally nudged it, it fell down and shattered into a million pieces.

The noise attracted the attention of a young sleeping boy, who woke up and stared out the window. When he saw the broken glass in the courtyard, he scanned up the building and spotted Gemma on the rooftop. His eyes met hers, and he was silently begging her to turn away. Gemma looked regretful but she shook her head. She couldn't turn away now. She just couldn't.

Chilling autumn air fluttered Gemma's hospital gown, vaporizing her breath. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she contemplated the unthinkable. She was petrified, but this was the only way. It had to be done. A cityscape of lights were spread out below, but Gemma saw something else. Reflected in her eyes was a city of red flames, and it could be seen in each tear that slid down Gemma's pale cheeks.

Gemma shuddered and rubbed her wrist where it could be seen that the skin had swollen and reddened and there was a strange circular symbol there as well. Gemma wiped away her tears. She had to be strong now, for the good of the world. She took a few deep breaths for courage, spread her arms and then stepped off the roof.

The boy's wide eyes followed her down before he ran out into the courtyard. When he arrived, he went straight for Gemma's contorted body. Miraculously, she was still alive, but not for long. The boy stared into her eyes. She was fading fast. He reached out and touched her face as her eyes closed and she drew her last breath.

Gemma was gone.

Cheryl then woke up screaming as her heart raced like a train.

When she ceasing screaming, Cheryl switched on the light, took a few deep breaths to calm herself and then her phone started ringing.

"Detective Cheryl Masters," she said, when she answered it.

" _I'm sorry to wake you like this, partner, but you need to get to the hospital morgue now_ ," said Corrigan, sounding grave. " _There's been a death at Ravenscar Institution._ "

Cheryl's blood ran cold and her grip on her phone tightened. "Jim…" she said, as her voice cracked. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't have just seen her daughter's death! "Please, tell me it's not Gemma."

Corrigan was quiet for a moment. " _Cheryl…_ "

"No!" sobbed Cheryl. Her heart broke and she felt tears start to stream down her cheeks. " _No!_ " It wasn't supposed to happen like this. Cheryl was supposed to go first, not Gemma. She'd always been ready to go first. She wasn't supposed to outlive her own child! She'd already lost her parents, her husband and her younger sibling, she wasn't supposed to lose her baby too!

" _Cheryl, you still there?_ "

Realizing she'd left her partner hanging, Cheryl wiped her face of the tears and spoke to him, "I'm here, Jim."

" _I know this is hard. Do you need me to come get you?_ " asked Corrigan. He hadn't asked her to stay out of the case, because he knew that she'd ignore him and investigate anyway. When it came to personal cases, Cheryl was a stubborn one.

"I can drive," said Cheryl. She kicked the covers off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Cheryl wasn't going to let anything stand in the way of solving her daughter's murder.

When Cheryl arrived, she was lead to Gemma's body by Corrigan.

The coroner lifted the sheet, allowing Cheryl to see Gemma's face. It was just like Cheryl had seen in her dream, except the mark on Gemma's wrist had vanished. It took everything Cheryl had to stay in control and not lose it right then and there. She beckoned for the coroner to cover her daughter's body back up and then she stepped back.

"So…she fell from the roof? Who pushed her?" asked Cheryl.

Instead of simply answering her, Corrigan looked uncomfortable. "Cheryl…no one pushed her. Gemma…she jumped."

Cheryl gave her partner an incredulous glare. "No. She didn't just jump." Gemma wouldn't have committed suicide. She had no reason to!

"I know it's hard to accept but—"

" _No!_ " said Cheryl, fiercely. "Gemma never would've taken her own life, not in a million years!" She was not speaking in denial, as one would've expected from a grieving relative. She was speaking from what she knew of her daughter's character. Gemma had always believed in heaven and perdition. Gemma wouldn't have taken her own life, knowing that if she did, she wouldn't ascend to heaven for it.

Corrigan sighed. "Cheryl…Ravenscar sent security footage from the roof. We can watch it in the next room. I think you should see it for yourself."

"You're bloody right I should," said Cheryl.

None of this made any sense. But at least with the proof provided by the security camera, Cheryl was going to prove that Gemma didn't commit suicide once and for all.

But the security footage did just the opposite.

The footage showed Cheryl being alone on the rooftop and then willingly stepping off it. She'd killed herself and now as far as Cheryl's fellow officers were concerned, it was an open-and-shut suicide case. No one would look further into it.

Cheryl didn't know what hurt more, knowing that everyone would believe Gemma had willingly taken her own life, or that it had happened at all. Feeling the need for fresh air, Cheryl ran straight for the nearest elevator. A blond woman in a trench coat entered it first and was closing the door when Cheryl came close.

"Hold that elevator!"

The blond woman froze and then looked both disgusted and angry. She made no attempt to keep the door open, forcing Cheryl to stop it first by slamming her foot in the middle of the door's pathway.

Cheryl then slid inside and shot the blond woman an annoyed look. "Didn't you hear me?"

"Heard you. Didn't care," came the gruff reply.

Cheryl raised an eyebrow. The blond woman was keeping her back to Cheryl, so she couldn't see her face but that voice sounded oddly familiar. "Call me crazy, but you're a fellow Brit. Do I know you, ma'am?"

"No. Now, sod off," she snapped.

Cheryl bristled at the woman's rudeness but managed to hold her tongue as she reached for the elevator buttons. "Going down?"

"Not if I can help it," she muttered.

Cheryl frowned in confusion but didn't question the woman as she'd had enough of her rudeness for one night.

XXX

Chas was waiting for Jade in the hospital lobby, finishing up some paperwork.

He opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it when he saw the look in Jade's eyes. She was not in a good mood and he had no desire to arouse her anger further. He led her to his taxi and asked where she wished to go.

"Take me to the Snob," said Jade. "Just drop me off. Don't wait for me."

Chas just nodded and silently did as commanded.

Jade was in a foul mood, partly due to the doctor's diagnosis of her health and partly due to her unexpected encounter with the policewoman. The latter upset her because although she'd only glimpsed her for a moment, Jade had recognized the police officer and years of buried anger and pain had begun remaking their way to the surface. She had no desire to see the woman again and didn't know what she'd do if she did, probably hex her.

But that wasn't what upset Jade the most. What'd upset her most was the doctor's diagnosis. It was lung cancer. _Terminal lung cancer._ After everything Jade had fought against in her life, after everything she'd survived, both supernatural and human, she was going to die within twelve months at the hands of _lung cancer_ , a common mortal disease. Worst of all, no human magical practitioner, even one as powerful and tricky as her, could undo such a fate.

Jade wasn't afraid of dying by itself. She was afraid of where dying would take her. She had no desire to spend the rest of eternity in perdition. A large chunk of its inmates were there because of her and would happily tear her soul apart and worst of all, Lucifer was going to turn her into his favorite weapon once he got ahold of her.

As soon as Chas's taxi pulled up at the Theological Society, Jade thanked him for the lift and then went straight inside.

Inside the chamber room, a few bishops were talking quietly and a cardinal was studying scriptures. It was definitely not the place for an atheist like Jade Constantine. Although she believed in heaven and perdition, she hadn't worshipped in years. She hadn't even so much as attended church or even prayed. Her faith, if ever she'd had it, had been lost a long time ago.

Jade walked through the vaulted chamber room to the library and then stopped as she fixed her gaze on two gentlemen standing in front of a fireplace. One was a young man of pure class, wrapped in Armani's best and the other was Father Garret. Jade stood to the side and waited for their conversation to end.

An attendant made his rounds. "Can I take your coat, Miss Jade?"

"No, thanks. I'm not staying long," said Jade.

The attendant nodded and turned his head. "How about you, Detective Masters?"

"I'm not staying long either."

The hairs on the back of Jade's neck stood up and she was glad she'd kept her hand in her coat pocket, because she clenched into a fist and forced herself not to stay calm and not show her true emotions.

 _Why do I keep running into Cheryl?_ Was the universe out to get her with an even bigger vendetta than usual?

"My business with him is urgent," said Cheryl.

"Well, if your business is with the Snob, then it can wait. First come, first served," said Jade, rudely. She smirked inwardly at the outraged look on Cheryl's face. "Have I upset you, luv?"

Cheryl glared. "Miss, I don't know what is it that's going you being so bloody rude to me, but I suggest you stop it. Immediately."

"Or what? You'll haul me down to the station on trumped-up charges?" sneered Jade. She really was enjoying this, perhaps a bit too much. "Don't bother, mate. You'll never make any charges stick, I promise you that."

Cheryl growled in agitation. "Whatever! And for your information, I don't know who this 'snob' you're talking about even is! I'm here for Father Garret. What is your problem, anyway?"

"I don't like bloody coppers," said Jade, telling a half-truth. With the exception of Jim Corrigan, Jade hated police officers. She viewed them as a bunch of narrow-minded, useless idiots when they got involved in the world of the supernatural, especially since they'd arrested her more than once despite her innocence. "Good day to you, detective."

Cheryl looked annoyed but spoke no more to Jade as the two men finished their conversation, shook hands and then Father Garret led Cheryl to another room so they could speak privately. As soon as Jade was left alone, the man in the Armani suit, the Snob, rose up from his seat and unfolded his great, white wings before turning to face her.

"Perditiono, Gabriel," said Jade.

The archangel looked somewhat coldly at Jade before nodding at her. "Constantine. It's been a while. Though, I must admit, I hadn't expected to see you so soon after our last disagreement."

Gabriel was one of the few Jade had trusted with her secrets and called ally, if not friend and one of the few angels permitted to be on Earth. But despite this, Gabriel and Jade often clashed over differences of opinion. Gabriel often lacked empathy with human beings and had a tendency to be arrogant and act holier-than-thou, which irritated Jade to no end. But Jade was forced to admit that there were times when she liked having Gabriel on her side.

"Water under the bridge, mate," said Jade. "At least, I consider it to be."

"As you should. I've already put it aside myself," said Gabriel. "But I know that's not what brings you here, Constantine."

"Been keeping your all-seeing eye on me, have you? Thought that was Manny's job," said Jade.

"I could offer how a shepherd leads even the most wayward of his flock, but it might sound disingenuous. So, to put it simply, Manny doesn't see everything," said Gabriel. "And what he doesn't, I do, which brings me to my next point. Your lung cancer—"

"I'm not here about my cancer!" interrupted Jade. She scowled at the disbelieving look on Gabriel's face. "Don't look at me like that, you stupid twit." Sometimes, Jade could be a self-serving jerk, but this wasn't one of those times. "I'm here to cash in the favor you owe me."

Gabriel's golden eyes glimmered with intrigue. "Do tell."

Jade sighed. "It's about Astra. I need you help me save her."

Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "What do you expect me to do?"

"I can get in and out of perdition, no problem. But I can't give her a life here, not without cursing it to an immortal one like Papa Midnite and his sister and she'd never go for that, and nor can I send her soul to heaven. But you can," said Jade. "Here's what I propose: I'll go to perdition and get Astra's soul, and you take it to heaven where it belongs. I'll handle the dirty work; you just take care of what I can't do. So, what do you say, mate?"

"No."

Jade's eyes narrowed in anger. "Begging your pardon?"

"No," repeated Gabriel. "I won't save Astra and if you ask, I won't save you."

Jade couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're going to make me beg, is that it?"

Gabriel shook his head. "Begging won't help. It's time you died for your sins. You've already wasted your chance at redemption and so has the child."

" _I_ wasted my chance—? That's bull!" spat Jade, furiously. "Astra never _had_ a chance, if you recall! And what about the minions I've sent back, the souls that I've saved, and the—"

"Passage requires faith, and faith by definition is belief without proof. You have proof, and that means you're not playing by the rules as everyone else. Your work has mostly been for selfish reason. And even if it weren't so, it doesn't change the fact that you turned your back on your faith and have been a complete and utter disgrace in the name of good for quite some time," said Gabriel, coldly.

"Selfish?!" fumed Jade. Never before had she wanted to rip an angel's wings off so badly as she had now. " _My_ work has been selfish? You self-righteous _git!_ That's complete and utter bull! So, I turned away, so what? You and your kind did the same to me first, a _long_ time before I returned the favor! And even so, what of it? It's like you've got some cosmic scale weighing everything we do—help an old lady across the street—put in a nickel, kick a dog, take out a dime—you're nickel and diming us to death down here!"

Jade was furious. She was used to Gabriel's usual put-downs and holier-than-thou attitude towards humans, but this was pushing it. It was all right for Gabriel, the all-powerful holy archangel to pass judgment on mortals from up high on his pedestal, but he had no idea what it was like to be trapped in a world of pain and temptation, which rendered his judgment moot, at least in Jade's opinion.

"Keep your voice down," warned Gabriel.

Jade ignored him as she got up into his face. "And you know what; _you're_ the ones with the problem, not us. You make all these impossible rules to decide who goes up, who goes down and you don't even understand us!"

The last bit got under Gabriel's skin and his eyes flashed dangerously at Jade. "I've been watching mankind from the beginning, Constantine. And do you know what I've learned? Each of you is born with the promise of salvation preordained—even people like you and Astra. The cost of your redemption is simple belief and yet you whine about impossible rules. Sometimes, I imagine you hardly deserve the gift you've been given."

"Gift?!" spluttered Jade. A gift? Is that what he called it? He was seriously messed up if he thought that Jade's life was a gift! "More like a curse, the way you lot manage things!"

Gabriel then towered over Jade. "I'm taking your situation into account, Constantine, but don't push me."

"I told you already, I don't give a rat's rear end about my situation!" snapped Jade. "My record's spotted, my soul's tainted, I _know!_ It's been that way my entire life! But as I said, I don't give a crap about it anymore! It's Astra's that matters to me! If I'm going to die, then I want to die knowing that she's in heaven where she belongs. I want her saved, Gabriel! You owe me, so _do it!_ "

Gabriel shook his head yet again. "I may owe you, but I'm well within my rights to refuse you. Unless I'm command by my Father, I will not raise Astra from perdition."

Jade felt like breaking something. "And why the heck not?" she demanded. "Astra's an innocent child! She doesn't deserve to be rotting down there, suffering for all eternity!"

"A fitting punishment for the lives she took," said Gabriel, coldly.

The fire in the fireplace roared dangerously. "You're blaming _her_ for what that demon did while it possessed her? You cannot be serious! You know perfectly well it wasn't Astra's fault! She had no control over the situation!"

"Regardless of the circumstances, it was still by her hand that those crimes were committed," said Gabriel. "Therefore, she will be punished."

"Bull shark!" spat Jade. "You've saved others from perdition for far less and others in Astra's position were rescued. What's the _real_ reason you won't save her? It's because of me, isn't it? You're projecting your anger towards me onto her. Tell the truth!"

Gabriel narrowed his eyes, but didn't appear to be angry that Jade was ordering him about. "Fine. You want to know the truth? You're correct, but only partly. Yes, part of the reason I won't risk my neck to save her is because of my anger towards you, but that's not the whole story. I won't save Astra because of one perfectly good reason: Astra shouldn't have existed in the first place. She's lucky she wasn't executed by a higher authority, considering her bloodline. Her very existence is a sin unto itself! She doesn't deserve to be saved. She's an abomination and she—"

Gabriel was cut off when he was pressed up against the wall and an angel sword, the only thing capable of slaying an angel, was pressed against his throat by a furious Jade.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear, you pompous, self-righteous _git_ : insult me all you like, I don't care, but if I so much as _imagine_ you talking about Astra like that again, I will gut you before you can ever _blink_ ," growled Jade. "So you will keep a civil tongue in your head or else! Got that? Nod if you understand."

Gabriel's eyes narrowed in anger as he nodded and then Jade pocketed the sword.

"Threatening to kill one His servants with one of their own weapons," hissed Gabriel. "And I thought you could sink no lower! It's no wonder you're condemned to perdition, Constantine! You deserve it!"

Jade ceased walking, turned around, lit a match and dropped it onto the floor. A ring of fire then encircled Gabriel.

"Holy oil," said Jade, smirking in delight at the furious look on Gabriel's face. "A couple of hunters that owed me a favor set me up with a good supply of it a few months back. I set up the trap after our last argument. Have fun getting out of it."

"CONSTANTINE!"

Jade just bowed and waved good-bye before leaving the building.

Once outside, Jade did not call Chas for a ride or hail another cab, instead she just walked the streets feeling numb to the world.

A rat scurried past near the curb and then another. Several crows flew by. Above her was a large billboard that read,

 _ **Your Time Is Running Out**_

It didn't matter to Jade that below it read,

 _ **To Buy A New Chevy**_

The point was crystal clear.

Someone had a poor sense of humor. Jade just shook her head and broke out laughing, which quickly turned into a coughing fit. She leaned to a gutter. Another rat scooted past. Jade barely noticed. Then a frog jumped past. But it was the crab crawling by that finally caught Jade's gaze.

"Hey, missy, you got a light?"

Jade turned and her gaze settled on a silhouetted figure, an old man, standing behind her with an unlit cigarette butt in his mouth.

"We gotta stick together, right?" said the old man.

 _Why do I always attract the attention of strange men?_ But she didn't see the harm in lighting the old geezer's cigarette, so Jade rummaged through her coat pocket and retrieved the matchbox. It shook a little as she did so, and then the box shuddered as a high-pitched fluttering filtered from the inside. The old man winced as his entire body vibrated.

For the briefest moment, Jade was confused but then she realized she'd grabbed the matchbox from Ellie by mistake, the one with the screech beetle inside. And now she knew, just a beat too late, unfortunately, and the old man attacked.

Jade was knocked onto her haunches. As the old man closed in, his true face was revealed in more detail. His body and face were an intricate puzzle, an assemblage of city vermin—rats, insects, crows, frogs and crabs—all held together in the shape of a man. More specifically, he was the Vermin Man, a high-level demon that manifested a physical form by summoning vermin. Jade scampered backwards just inches from the being's outstretched grasp. She shook the matchbox and the screech beetle inside fluttered again. Vermin Man demon cringed as his entire body vibrated apart for a second and then snapped together. He grabbed onto Jade with fingers of squirming vermin. Snakes wrapped around Jade's wrists and crabs snapped at her skin.

Jade shook the beetle box harder, causing the parts to vibrate even further. Vermin Man grabbed Jade's head and vermin of various leg count crawl right onto Jade's face. That was the last straw. Jade shook the matchbox violently and then smashed it against the sidewalk. The beetle let out a death screech and the Vermin Man demon stuttered, his parts vibrated so wildly that Jade could see through the seams. Jade scampered loose into the road.

"Oi! Come and get me, ya maggot-ridden git!" she yelled.

Vermin Man hissed in anger and ran out into the road, only to be hit by an oncoming semi-truck. The entire mess collapsed to the ground in a flood of scattered creatures. Any insect Jade saw, she quickly stomped as everything else ran off. Afterwards, Jade just stood there, feeling more shocked and concerned than ever. The demon she'd just vanquished had been one of the higher-ups, one that shouldn't have been able to get through to the mortal plane regardless of the rulebook being thrown out. And it'd gone after her. Granted, no demon liked her, considering what she was and her reputation, but to do so like this…it wasn't something Jade like to think about.

"Busy night?"

Jade scowled and sighed before turning around to see Manny, her guardian angel and often her boss, standing behind her.

"And as usual, O Feathery One, you're late to the party," said Jade. "You couldn't have shown up five minutes earlier? What kept you? Daddy send you to give some other poor sod some of your cryptic nonsense?"

"I wish. Actually, I was busy dealing Gabriel when his call came in. I found him trapped in a holy oil trap. He was also ranting on and on about someone threatening him with an angel sword," said Manny. He gave her a look. "You wouldn't know anything about it, would you?"

Jade feigned ignorance. "Nope. Why would I know anything?"

"Jade." Manny's face held an amused expression while his voice was stern. "I know you have no respect for authority and I know you've had your issues with Gabriel lately, but what on earth possessed you to trap an _archangel_ in holy oil and threaten him?"

Jade sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I thought I'd cash in the favor he owes me, so I asked him to help me get Astra out of perdition and into heaven. But instead of repaying his debts, he insulted me, and then he insulted Astra. He called her a lot of nasty things I'd rather not repeat and then after refusing to help save her, he said that she deserved what she got."

Manny's yellow eyes narrowed and glowed with anger. "I'll kill him!"

"Don't bother. I already said if he did it again, I'd do it myself," said Jade. "Besides, we both know you can't go up against Gabriel. In this war, he's a General; you're just a foot soldier. It's better if I do it. I'm already condemned to perdition and I'll be there within a year or so. What more can they do to little old me?"

Confusion and fear flickered across Manny's face. "What're you talking about?"

Jade wasn't surprised that Manny didn't know. Despite him having his all-seeing eye on her, there were times when things slipped past Manny's notice.

"Didn't you get the memo? I went to the doctor's before I visited that winged nuisance. Lung cancer's finally going to claim me," said Jade. "And according to Gabriel, it's what I deserve. So, you can imagine why the boss downstairs is in such a happy mood."

"No…" Manny looked devastated. "You can't die. Not now. I—the world needs you."

Jade shrugged. "Well, apparently your boss has decided otherwise and it's not like you're going to be allowed to fix this."

"Forget the rules!" said Manny. "I'm not about to let you die, Jade! I'll just—"

"Lose your wings and end up dead," interrupted Jade. "It's not worth it, mate." Despite all the times she'd badgered Manny about using his angelic powers to help her in cases and forget the consequences; she'd only done so in moments of frustration and never truly meant it. She knew Manny would never survive as a mortal and she wasn't about to lose him. "Look, I'm not happy about this. I don't want it. I've gotten angry about it, I've cried about it and thrown a bloody temper tantrum, but it changes nothing. I'm going to die, Manny. But I'm not about to let lung cancer be what takes me. When I die, I'm going to go out in blazing glory. And you know what else? At least dying will mean I can be with Astra again and this time, nothing—and I mean _nothing_ , not even bloody Lucifer—will take her away from me."

If there was one thing Jade had learned in her life, it was to look for the silver lining, the flicker of light in the darkness. She had no desire to die or spend eternity suffering in perdition, but she couldn't deny that being a permanent resident would bring one small joy into her life—being with the child she'd failed to save and have a chance at earning her forgiveness.

"Jade…"

"Look, I'm going to head to the Neutral Zone. It's been a rough week," said Jade. A rough week was putting it mildly. It was more like she'd had it rough for all her thirty-plus years. "I'll see you later, Manny."

Jade began walking off, only for Manny to grab her hand. Manny then pulled her in for an intense, passionate kiss that she returned until the need for air became too much. When they broke apart, Jade saw that tears were pooling in Manny's golden eyes and sliding down his cheeks. Jade had only ever seen Manny cry twice before.

"Jade, I swear, I will fight this and I'll find a solution. But if there's a chance that I'm wrong, then just know I've never stopped loving you," confessed Manny. "And I never will."

"Nor I you," she admitted. Jade had had many lovers over the long course of her life, but throughout it all, Manny had been the only one she'd ever truly loved, even when they'd broken up. "Actually, Manny, I think that drink can wait." Jade was normally a stoic person with the occasional temper, but at that moment, she was feeling emotional, vulnerable and she needed an anchor in the storm, just for a little while. "Would you just hold me?"

Manny didn't reply. He just pulled her in closer before enfolding her in his wings.

XXX

Back at the police station, Cheryl was in the empty break room.

Gemma's case file was on the table and the coroner's report was open. Cheryl was looking through it, trying to spot anything that would prove Gemma's death wasn't a suicide. But so far, she'd had no luck as there had been no drugs in Gemma's system aside from her medication, which wouldn't have had such a terrible side-effect.

Cheryl's laptop was also running, and she was going over the security footage from Ravenscar over and over again. Despite her attempts to try and see something— _anything_ —out of the normal, she did not. It was the same image over and over again: Gemma in her nightgown walking across the roof and then raising her arms before willingly stepping over and dying.

Cheryl's eyes were red from crying and she looked a frightful mess. She was taking Gemma's death hard. No one should have to outlive their own child, especially not in this manner. And the worst of it was, Cheryl felt responsible. She wondered about what could've happened if she hadn't sent Gemma to the institution or if she'd been a little more attentive or done _something_ to try and prevent this terrible tragedy.

"I'm so sorry, Gemma," she murmured.

Suddenly the room became colder and a familiar voice whispered, " _Find Jade._ "

Cheryl's head shot up and she looked around as the temperature became normal again. "Gemma?" Was she hearing things or had she actually just heard her dead daughter's voice speaking to her? "Gemma, is that you?"

The lights then flickered and then static appeared on Cheryl's laptop before it changed to that of the blond woman that Cheryl had been bumping into. Underneath the blond woman's picture were the words, ' _find Jade._ '

Everything then returned to normal, but the blond woman's image remained on the screen. Not entirely sure what had just happened, but knowing it was the only real lead she'd had, Cheryl closed Gemma's file, wiped her face and began doing research.

Knowing that even with her resources, just searching for "Jade" could lead to a million dead ends; Cheryl ran a facial recognition search on the photograph of the blond woman. What she found was something she hadn't expected.

 **Jade Constantine**

 **Personal Information**

 **Known Aliases**

 **Known Associates**

 **Interpol File**

 **Ravenscar file**

 **Related Newspaper Articles**

Cheryl couldn't believe this.

The blond woman she'd been running into, the one that her daughter told her to seek out, was Cheryl's younger sister. Well, that explained the looks of disdain and scorn Cheryl had been receiving from her. Clearly Jade hadn't forgiven Cheryl for their terrible parting. Cheryl hadn't seen or heard from Jade in over sixteen years and she'd changed a great deal, which was why Cheryl hadn't recognized her.

Despite her hesitation to go nosing around in her sister's life, Cheryl knew she had no choice, so she took a deep breath and clicked on the first link.

There was a list of priors in Jade's file including a hundred parking violations, speeding tickets and reprimands for reckless endangerment. But that was the least of it. A number of newspaper headlines either mentioned Jade as a suspect in unexplainable cases, while others spoke of occult activity on the rise and Satanic cults being dissolved and Jade just _happened_ to be in the vicinity when it all went down. There were numerous pictures as well, of certain patterns on the walls of crime scenes, odd symbols burned into the ceilings and a cross was burnt to a crisp.

Another article and photograph was of Jade in handcuffs looking back at a mother holding her son in her arms and Gary Lester standing beside them looking grateful. The next line said, ' _insufficient evidence to prosecute_ ,' showing that Jade had been a suspect yet again but not imprisoned because either she hadn't done it or no one had been able to prove she'd actually been involved. Jade had made waves all over the world—London, Paris, Rome, Budapest, and Moscow and so much more. But it was the next line that caught Cheryl's interest.

At one point, Jade had been a member of a punk rock band and while on tour in Newcastle, there'd been a gruesome murder of a young girl with a striking resemblance to Jade, called 'Astra Rouge.' Jade and her band members had been suspected in Astra's death but were released due to lack of evidence. And according to Jade's record, after whatever had happened in Newcastle, Jade had suffered a mental breakdown and spent the next two years at Ravenscar Psychiatric around the same time that Gemma had been. She'd only been discharged about two years ago and had been on the move again ever since.

It was too much of a coincidence. It _couldn't_ be a mere coincidence. If Cheryl was right, then Jade could be a valuable asset in unveiling the truth about Gemma's death. It was settled. She needed to find her sister and do what was necessary to get her help. But first, she needed to find Jade, but she hadn't the slightest idea as to how to do it. Granted she was a policewoman with resources, but if her hunch was right and she put out an APB for Jade, then she'd be on the receiving end of her boss's anger for wasting the department's time and resources, or worse Jade would evade her and disappear again. She needed some way to locate Jade and quickly, but how?

As if in response, the laptop's image turned to static for a moment before it was replaced with a picture of Cheryl's partner, Jim Corrigan at a crime scene with Jade. It was dated to the time when Cheryl had been out of town on personal business. Cheryl was puzzled for a moment before she caught on. _Corrigan knows Jade._ Corrigan knew about the world her sister lived in. Better yet, Corrigan was the key to finding Jade.

Cheryl printed off Jade's picture and went off in search of her partner.

Just a few minutes later, Cheryl found Corrigan at his desk, which was facing opposite hers, drinking a cup of coffee as he finished up the last of his paper work before he took his leave. The bosses had decided that Corrigan was overdue for a break and he was going on leave for a few weeks.

"Jim. Glad I caught you. Got a minute?" asked Cheryl.

"Sure. What can I do for you?"

Cheryl grabbed her computer chair and pulled up beside him before placing Jade's picture on his desktop. Immediately, Corrigan's face fell and he looked away.

"I need you to tell me where to find Jade Constantine. I know she's in town and I know you two are friends. I just need you to tell me where she might be," said Cheryl.

Corrigan frowned. "Is she a suspect in a case?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Then drop it," interrupted Corrigan. He seemed serious and stern. "Cheryl, if this is some personal vendetta or something else equally insane, then walk away now and forget about all of it, because the last thing you want to do is tick off Jade Constantine. She's dangerous and she's got enough on her plate as it is. So, leave her be."

"If I could, I would, but I can't," said Cheryl. "I think she can help me with Gemma's case."

"And _why_ would she help you?" asked Corrigan, suspiciously. "For that matter, what makes Jade so special that she can help prove that Gemma's death was a murder like you claim?"

Cheryl sighed. She had no desire to explain herself, but it seemed she had no choice. After making sure no one was listening, she whispered to Corrigan, "Because Jade's my little sister and her world wasn't just hers. It was Gemma's too and I know this sounds insane, but Gemma wants me to find Jade. She told me to."

Corrigan's eyes widened. "Come again?"

Cheryl quickly explained the strange happenings in the break room and the ghostly appearance of Gemma and what Cheryl had seen on her laptop. When she finished, Corrigan looked flabbergasted and in need of a good long drink.

"So, you know what circles Jade travels in, your daughter's ghost told you to find her long-lost aunt and now you're more convinced that your estranged sister can solve Gemma's case. Have I got it right?" asked Corrigan.

"In a nutshell," said Cheryl. "So, will you help me?"

It sounded beyond insane when said aloud, and if Cheryl hadn't seen it for herself, she might not have believed any of it either.

Corrigan sighed. "Look Cheryl, even if I do tell you where to find Jade, there's no guarantee she'll help you. From what little she told me, the two of you ain't exactly best of pals."

"I know," said Cheryl. She and Jade hadn't parted on the best of terms all those years ago. She knew she was taking a chance with Jade, but she had no other choice. "But if there's any chance that Jade can help prove, even if it's just to myself, that Gemma didn't kill herself, then I need to take it. I need to find her. So, _please_ , Jim. Where is she?"

Corrigan hesitated before he began scribbling down an address and hours onto his notepad. "I heard she was in town, but I don't know exactly where she is. If I call her for you, she'll get suspicious and run off. However, I've seen her frequenting this bar when she's here. You're a blood relation, so you _might_ be let in. Otherwise, that's all I've got. Better pray that she doesn't turn you down, because if she does, you're screwed."

And by that, Corrigan meant that there were no other practitioners of magic that he knew of that Cheryl could turn to and trust for help.

"Thank you," said Cheryl, as she slipped the offered paper into her pocket.

"Do me one favor," said Corrigan. "Call me and let me know how it turns out."

Cheryl nodded.

XXX

Downtown, amidst the contrast between the bright and the cheerful, and the dark and mysterious part of the city was a bar and grill, the Neutral Zone. So named because it was literally sitting on neutral territory and all manner of good and evil could meet, eat and drink and be civil. Anyone, be them a half-breed demon or someone like Jade, was welcome as long as they obeyed the rules and paid their tabs.

While that didn't keep civil tongues in everyone's heads, the customers usually obeyed the rules as the security guards, who'd been posted for good measure, were not the sort that even a half-breed demon like Balthazar would want to go up against. And besides the usually decent alcohol and food, Jade often frequented the place for intel on whatever she happened to be chasing.

At her usual place at the establishment, Jade sat alone, ignored by the other patrons and shooting frightening glares at those who even glanced in her direction, making them back off. Her trench coat was slung on the back of her chair, four empty shot glasses and one full shot glass of gin sat on the table and there was an ashtray sitting ready for her to dispose of her cigarette in.

Jade inhaled and then exhaled a long stream of smoke. She was ticked off. She was ticked off at everything, at life, at death…all of it. She was no closer to stopping the Rising Darkness than when she'd started, restoring Astra's soul to heaven was beyond her reach, within a year, she was going to die of _lung cancer_ of all things and then be trapped in perdition forever as Lucifer's favorite weapon. All the good she'd ever done or tried to do, all of it was for nothing and that infuriated and frustrated her beyond words.

A spider ran across her table. Jade flipped one of her empty glasses onto it, trapping it. She took another drag on her cigarette, tipped the glass and blew the smoke inside. The spider couldn't escape the poisoned air and it bumped against the glass, trapped and dying.

"Feels bad, doesn't it?" she murmured to the arachnid. "You live your life, try to do what's best, and do nothing wrong, but then you accidentally annoy the wrong person and your whole life's over in a flash and everything you've done counts for nothing." She scoffed. "Welcome to my life."

The spider thumped against the glass once again, and Jade sighed before taking pity and releasing the eight-legged monstrosity. The spider fled for its life and disappeared in a crack in the wall. Never let it be said that unlike some people she could mention, Jade could be merciful.

Jade put out her cigarette, signaled the waitress to clear away the empty shot glasses and the ashtray before she downed her fifth glass of gin. She was just debating about ordering a sixth or even a seventh shot, when the sound of approaching footsteps ceased and she heard a voice say, "Jadey?"

Jade tensed. Only one person had ever called her by that name and it was one she hadn't expected to see again and nor did she want to. She'd been rather hoping that despite their random encounters of late, Cheryl wouldn't recognize her and this conversation wouldn't happen but it seemed the jig was up. Jade then looked up and got a long, proper look at her older sister for the first time in quite a while.

Cheryl looked older and more worn, which was only to be expected, considering it'd been sixteen years, but there were unexpected changes as well. A wedding ring adorned her left ring finger, a gun was nestled in a brown leather holster on her hip and a police officer's badge was sticking out of her pocket. She'd gotten older, married and become a police officer. Such accomplishments would've made any other family member proud, but not Jade. She couldn't have cared less.

"Cheryl," she said, in a clipped tone.

"Hey," said Cheryl, softly. "Long time no see."

"Not long enough," said Jade, coldly. "Bad enough I kept running into you this past week. Now you show up at my drinking spot? How'd you even find me?"

Cheryl looked taken aback by Jade's attitude but softly replied, "My partner, Detective Jim Corrigan. He told me where to find you."

Jade's scowl deepened. "I'll bloody kill him." Well, she wouldn't _actually_ kill Corrigan, as he was too valuable an asset to lose, but she would definitely hex him into next Tuesday. "But that's not important right now. Look, whatever it is you want, the answer's no, and the door's that way. Common mortals like you aren't welcome in this establishment. Get out before I call security."

Jade was in no mood to deal with her sister's trouble. She had the Rising Darkness and another big supernatural problem to deal with. Whatever mess Cheryl had gotten herself into, she could get herself out of it or she could find someone else. Either way, it wasn't Jade's problem to deal with. And Jade was right about Cheryl not being permitted in the bar. The bar was reserved for those who practiced magic or were a supernatural creature. Cheryl must've gotten in because she shared Jade's blood but once it was made known that Cheryl was a common human because her powers hadn't manifested, her departure from the building would be expected.

"Just hear me out, Jadey," begged Cheryl.

"Don't call me that," said Jade, sharply. Cheryl had lost the right to call her by her nickname after what happened sixteen years ago. And it was fortunate that they were on neutral territory, for Jade was finding it difficult not to unleash her powers onto Cheryl. "I cannot believe you. You've got a lot of bloody nerve showing up here and talking to me after what you did."

"I know," sighed Cheryl, as she sat down beside her. "I know I must be the last person you want to see, but I need your help."

Jade scoffed and let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, _now_ you want my help? The angelic _perfect_ sister needs help from the demonic evil one so she can be saved from some supernatural creep or whatever bloody mess you've gotten yourself into. Oh, that's rich."

Cheryl flinched and there was visible regret in her eyes but Jade ignored it. "I never meant—"

"Don't lie! You did and you know it," interrupted Jade. She glared at Cheryl. Sixteen years of buried anger was making its way to the surface. "You know, I will never forget that moment when the world blows you backwards and the _one person_ you thought would be there to catch you, isn't. I _trusted_ you, Cheryl. All those times you begged me to tell you what was going on, what I was keeping from you, you _swore_ you'd believe me and protect me and love me no matter what. And when I finally show you what I can do, when you see what Thomas was doing to me, you abandon me. You lied to me and tossed me aside like a piece of rubbish."

"That's not fair!" protested Cheryl. "I walked in on you murdering Dad and I found out the world was a scarier place than I thought it was! How was I supposed to react to that?"

Sixteen years ago, Cheryl had walked in on her father Thomas dying from one of Jade's spells. He'd been beating her and Jade had tried to protect herself by making him feel everything he'd ever inflicted on her. It was never intended to kill him, only make him feel Jade's pain so he'd stop hurting her. But because Jade had never been taught to master her powers and much of her ability came from her emotions, she lost control. In a moment of pure rage and fear, instead of merely feeling Jade's pain, all her injuries—both past and present—were inflicted on Thomas and he'd died from them as a result.

Cheryl had been horrified and when Jade tried to explain that Thomas had been abusing her all her life and that the world was much different than Cheryl knew, Jade's sister hadn't reacted well and Jade had run away from home because of it. And for Cheryl to show up again out of the blue and ask for Jade's help involving something in Jade's world, infuriated her to no end.

Jade slammed her glass down on the table in anger and some of the lightbulbs in the ceiling lamps exploded, making Cheryl jump. "I didn't _murder_ anyone! It was self-defense!" she hissed. If it had been murder, she would've been condemned to perdition a lot earlier. "And even so, you know perfectly well I had little control over my powers back then! Besides, that pathetic excuse for a man wasn't my father, especially not after what he put me through!"

For the first sixteen years of her life, Jade had suffered immense verbal and physical abuse from her mother's husband, Thomas. Her mother, Mary Anne Constantine, had died giving birth to Jade and Thomas had blamed Jade for it. Every day, he drank his weight in alcohol, and when he wasn't in jail for alcohol-related charges, he was at home, reminding Jade that Mary Anne's death was her fault. Thomas referred to Jade as "Killer" for killing her mother, and on the nights when he wasn't in a jail cell, he beat Jade within an inch of her life. He left bruises in areas that could be covered up with long sleeved clothes, and if she suffered from a broken or fractured bone, he gave some pathetic excuse to the authorities such as too much roughhousing or getting into a fight at school or falling down the stairs and it was believed.

For years, Jade had kept quiet about the abuse she suffered out of fear of Thomas's wrath and fear that he would hurt those she loved. There had been a few moments of rare courage when she'd tried to confess the truth to someone and get help, but it hadn't worked. No one had believed her and they'd left her alone to deal with it, and when Cheryl had joined that mass of people who'd turned her away, Jade had been devastated and angry and seceded from her family as a result.

"And as for finding out the world's a scary place, boo-hoo! Just because it took _you_ eighteen years to figure it out, doesn't mean the rest of us had that luxury," said Jade, bitterly as she downed another shot of gin.

Supernatural stuff aside, Jade had always known the world wasn't all sunshine and roses. The abuse she'd suffered at Thomas's hands had taught her that. It had also taught her to trust and rely more on herself than anyone else.

A tear slid down Cheryl's cheek. "Jade…I'm so, so sorry. You will never know how sorry I am. There hasn't been a day when I haven't regretted how I reacted. I was scared and foolish. I didn't think. If I could change what happen, if I could've protected you from Thomas, I would. Please, forgive me."

Cheryl reached out to touch Jade's hand, but Jade pulled away.

"It's too late for apologies, Cheryl. And whatever mess you've gotten yourself into, you can get yourself out of it or find someone else. I'm not interested," said Jade. She signaled the waitress and handed her twenty dollars before rising up and grabbing her trench coat. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to deal with."

"That's it? You're going to just walk away when I need you?" said Cheryl, in angry disbelief. "You help complete strangers all the time but won't even hear your own sister out?"

"No, that's your job," said Jade, coldly. She smirked when Cheryl flinched. She knew her words stung and she was glad of it. Cheryl deserved it. Once, they'd been close siblings and Jade would've done anything for her older sister that she loved and admired, but that time was long since passed.

She tried to leave, but Cheryl grabbed her hand.

"Jade, _please_ ," said Cheryl, sounding desperate. "I'm _begging_ you. This isn't about me. It's about my daughter, Gemma. She's been murdered. You're the only one I can turn to for help. Please."

Jade's face softened and she felt a twinge of sympathy and pain. She knew what it was like to lose a child and that was a pain she wouldn't inflict on anyone, not even Thomas. But even so, she was still hesitant to let her half-sister into her life again.

" _Please_ ," she repeated. "Five minutes. That's all I'm asking. Please."

Jade's resolve crumbled and she cursed in Latin. "Fine. But just five minutes and then I'm out of here. Got it?" When Cheryl nodded, Jade signaled the waitress again and gave her five dollars in exchange for two glasses of whiskey. She had the feeling she was going to need a strong drink to get through this conversation. "So, tell me what happened."

"That's just it. I don't know," admitted Cheryl. She slipped Jade a photograph. "Do you recognize her? According to my research, you were at Ravenscar around the same time she was. Did you ever talk to her?"

Jade glanced over the photograph and passed it back to Cheryl as she nodded. "Yeah, I knew her. Didn't know she was my niece, but we got on. We were roomies together. I'm sorry she's gone, luv. Gemma was a good girl. I liked her."

No one mentioned surnames at the nuthouse that Jade had spent time in and Jade had never asked, making it impossible for her to know that Gemma was her niece. To know that she'd had family there made Jade feel a twinge of guilt and heartache.

During the time when Jade was a patient at Ravenscar Psychiatric Institution, Gemma was the only other person to get past Jade's walls and touch her heart. Whenever Gemma had an episode, Jade would hold her until she calmed down and tell her everything was going to be okay and in return, Gemma had provided Jade with the comfort and healing she so desperately needed. When Jade had decided to leave Ravenscar, she'd done so with reluctance as she'd grown attached to Gemma, but she'd assured Jade that she'd be fine and encouraged Jade to return to her work as a demon exorcist.

Sadness flickered across Cheryl's face. "Yeah, she was. Then last Tuesday, she decided to just step off the roof."

Jade frowned again. "I thought you said she was murdered?" Why would Cheryl ask for Jade's help in solving an open-and-shut suicide case?

Cheryl sighed in frustration. "Look, I know I'm not making much sense. But something happened to Gemma. Something supernatural. She might've bitten off more than she could chew, crossed the wrong person."

"What makes you say that?" asked Jade.

Cheryl sighed yet again. "Gemma, she…she knew about you, about your powers."

"You told her about me?" said Jade, surprised.

Cheryl nodded. "Contrary to what you may think, you weren't some dark secret I kept buried, Jade. I didn't know where to find you back then, but I still told my daughter about her Aunt Jade. Anyway, Gemma didn't just know about your abilities, she had them."

Jade nearly choked on her whiskey. "Beg your pardon, luv?"

"You heard me. Gemma was a practitioner of magic, just like you."

"Not _exactly_ like me. Your husband's mortal, isn't he?"

"He was, but that's not the point. Gemma had a fascination with the supernatural—occults, demonology, exorcisms—you name it. When she discovered she had a talent for witchcraft, she delved further into it and became a magical prodigy," said Cheryl. "I was terrified, of course. What little I know of your world, of the life you lead, I know it's not a safe one that I wanted for my daughter."

"Let me guess. You tried to stop her but she wouldn't listen to you," said Jade. It was only to be expected. Teenagers were often like that—stubborn, brainless fools who refused to listen to their elders and betters, especially when they had a difference of opinion over lifestyles.

"Exactly. Anyway, one day three years ago, she didn't come home from school. She was missing for three days and when we found her, she wasn't herself. She was completely changed," said Cheryl. "My superiors declared her mentally unstable and she was sent to Ravenscar."

"And you think something got to her?" said Jade, skeptically.

Jade was finding this rather hard to swallow, considering that Gemma had never once said so much as a word about the supernatural. If she had, Jade would've gone to great lengths to protect her from it. At the nuthouse, when Gemma had told Jade to get back into her line of work, it was only after Jade told her made-up stories of her being Superwoman and other fantasy-related stuff.

Cheryl nodded. "I was thinking that maybe someone or something got to her, brainwashed her into stepping off that roof. Some kind of legion or cult or maybe a sorcerer."

Jade snorted. "Well, I hate to break this to you, Cher, but the only supernatural thing that popped up while I was there was a ghost of a friend of mine possessed someone to get my attention and Gemma never said a word about my world, when she talked at all, that is."

Cheryl's face fell. "You're sure?"

"Positive. And another thing, why're you so sure she didn't commit suicide? People can surprise you and they can change, and not necessarily for the better." Gemma hadn't seemed suicidal before Jade left, but who knew what'd happened after Jade had left? Besides, it wasn't exactly unheard of for a crazy person to take their own life.

Jade knew that Cheryl wanted to hear that Gemma's death was the result of supernatural meddling, but the fact was, the kind of brainwashing nonsense she was talking about, didn't happen. In all her years of experience with cults and the supernatural, nothing that Cheryl suggested had ever happened and she sincerely doubted there ever would be. And during the time she'd spent at Ravenscar, there hadn't been the slightest sign of a demonic cult residing there. She would've noticed and if she had, she would've stopped it. Not to mention she hadn't heard of any trouble happening in Ravenscar. Surely, it would've shown up on the Scry Map if there had been.

"You don't understand. Gemma knew about more than just witchcraft. She always talked about a world better than this. Heaven, as some call it. She wasn't afraid of dying because she knew it was waiting for her. What everyone fails to grasp is that if she had really taken her own life—"

"She would've committed a mortal sin and her soul would've gone straight to perdition where it would never feel love or compassion or anything but pain again as the master himself rips her apart over and over for the rest of eternity," interrupted Jade. She raised an eyebrow. "That about right?"

Cheryl was rendered speechless and there was visible hurt in her eyes. Jade would've liked to take it back, but it was too late. The damage had been done. But Cheryl's response and the look in her eye wasn't what Jade expected.

"You're not the only one afraid of perdition," whispered Cheryl, as fresh tears glimmered in her eyes. "Jade…are you…are you condemned?"

Jade sighed and looked down at her hands. She wanted to lie, tell Cheryl that she wasn't on a one-way ticket to perdition, but her resolve crumbled once again. "It's nothing something I care to admit aloud, but since you've asked, yes. I am."

"Why?"

"Because I did what I do best: I screwed up royally and I have to pay for it," said Jade. There was a hint of anger in her voice and she hoped that Cheryl would take the hint to not pursue the subject further, and thankfully Cheryl did. "Look, Cher, I highly doubt Gemma's death is related to my line of work, but I promise I will look into it and let you know if I find anything. But don't get ticked off if I get sidetracked, all right? There's something bigger I'm dealing with."

"Bigger than your niece's murder?" said Cheryl, incredulously. "And what might that be?"

Jade gave her a cold look. "The Rising Darkness and possibly the end of the world as we know it if I don't stop it. Here." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her business card. "Call me if you need me. Good-night."

Without waiting for a reply, Jade got up and left the bar.

Once she was outside, instead of heading back to her apartment as intended, Jade dove into the alley and concealed herself in the shadows. She forced herself to ignore the tears that came unbidden and slid down her cheeks as she lit another cigarette and stuffed it into her mouth. She knew she was making herself die faster, but she didn't care. Smoking was her only solace at the moment and she was dead no matter what she did, so what did it matter?

Her reunion with her sister had brought back a lot of old memories and emotions to resurfaces, ones that Jade hadn't thought of and felt in years and hadn't wished to. She was no stranger to pain, but the kind of pain that would come from letting Cheryl back into her life wasn't the kind she wanted. Part of her wanted to forgive Cheryl and put the past behind her but she knew if she did, she'd been taking a chance that history would repeat itself and she'd rather that not happen. And more to the point, Jade wasn't the forgive and forget type of person when it came to that kind of pain.

Jade also couldn't believe she'd been with family the entire time she'd been at the nuthouse and hadn't known it. And now Gemma was dead, adding to the already long list of people in Jade's life she cared about yet failed to save. Jade didn't know what to think of it and she didn't know what to think of Cheryl's suspicions that Gemma's death hadn't been a suicide as the police believed. She wasn't inclined to believe it. It wasn't possible that Gemma had gotten bumped off by the supernatural. She would've noticed if something was off there!

 _Unless it showed up after you left. It could've been waiting for you to leave before making its move_ , said a nagging voice. _And you haven't checked the Scry Map in a while, so it might've slipped your notice._ Jade pushed that thought out of her head. The last thing she needed was to think like that.

At the sound of the bar's door opening, Jade looked up and then she dove into the shadows when she saw Cheryl was the one leaving the bar. She walked along the sidewalk, unaware of the shadow that followed her that was soon joined by another in the trees, both were closing in on her with each step.

 _Blast it. Why did she have to be right?_ If supernatural creeps were chasing after Cheryl, who'd stayed far away from Jade's world, then Cheryl was right. There was more to Gemma's death than what was first believed. She dumped her cigarette in a puddle and then chased after Cheryl.

"Cheryl!"

Cheryl stopped in her tracks, turned and saw Jade behind her. "I thought you'd left."

"I came back. I'm annoying like that. _Walk_ ," said Jade, sharply. She grabbed Cheryl's arm and forced her to walk at a quicker pace. "How open is your mind?"

Cheryl stared at her in bewilderment as she struggled to keep up with Jade. "What?"

"You know about my world, about the world that Gemma believed in and was a part of, but do you truly believe in heaven and perdition?" asked Jade. "How about what comes out of each?"

"What, angels and demons? Well…if they're really real, then I suppose I do," said Cheryl. But she sounded uncertain. "Why do you ask?"

Jade sighed in exasperation. "Nothing's changed. You still don't have the mindset for this kind of work. Walk faster."

Cheryl looked offended as she quickened her pace. " _Excuse me?_ I have a decent mindset, Jade! My world might not consist of whatever darkness is in yours, but my world's scary enough! I see terrible things every day! A mother drowns her baby. A ten-year-old shoots his father. But it's not demons that cause that; it's the evil that men do. You of all people should know that."

Behind them, a streetlight blinked out and then another and another. But because they were not looking back, they didn't see it.

"You're right. We're capable of terrible things, but we usually justify it with motives like money, power, jealousy, or vengeance," said Jade. She happened to glance behind her and noticed another light fizzed out. They were running out of time. "Then sometimes, something comes along and gives us just the right nudge and we do truly evil things just for the kick of it."

"You're telling me demons influence us? Jade…" Cheryl sounded skeptical. "I don't believe in that kind of stuff."

"Well, you should. Because demons and every other nasty son of a bilge rat believes in you," said Jade. They passed another streetlamp as it glowed bright and then it blacked out, causing both of them to look up. The next lamp did the same thing.

Cheryl turned and saw that there were no lights behind them. She looked to Jade for an explanation, but Jade was staring straight ahead, because now the light directly in front of them was flaring and on the verge of going out.

"Cheryl, we need to go…" Seconds later, it went out. "Blast it." She grabbed Cheryl's hand. "C'mon. We need to go. _Fast_."

Cheryl's confusion turned to tension as a raspy guttural wind raced towards them. Jade jerked her into action. They ran toward the next light, which blinked out right when they reached it. They raced to stay in the light, aiming toward the safety of the brightly-lit statue of the Good Shepherd which guarded the Holy Cross Cemetery.

They made it through the gate, past through an alley of overhanging trees. Something rippled through the branches, flittered through past Cheryl's face. She swatted at it and managed to get a branch across the cheek for her troubles. They neared the Good Shepherd and the floodlights flickered and faded out. Statues of saints became dark monoliths.

Jade stepped into an open area between trees and a mausoleum. A lit cross on the wall provided the only illumination. Cheryl felt the scratch on her cheek, and saw a trickle of blood on her fingers from where she'd touched it. Now, she heard sounds in the darkness, like leather rubbing, surrounding them.

"Jade…what's happening? What is that?"

"Wings," said Jade, as she rummaged through her trench coat pocket. She pulled out the cloth that Ellie gave her, the one supposedly wrapped around Moses. "And maybe talons." The light was getting dimmer and dimmer.

"You've got to be joking! And just what are these wings and talons attached to?" asked Cheryl. She sounded truly scared and Jade couldn't blame her.

"Something that's not supposed to be here," said Jade. She quickly wrapped the cloth tight around her hand. There was nothing to see except for darkness and the ghastly sounds of movement were getting closer. The cross now resembled a dying wire filament and with every second, the circle of light got smaller and the sounds ever nearer. "Cheryl, close your eyes. Now."

"Close my eyes?" said Cheryl, incredulously. They were standing in pitch darkness now. "Why?"

Despite knowing Cheryl couldn't see it, Jade rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Suit yourself. Just don't let go of me, whatever you do." If Cheryl wanted to look, fine. But if she had better think twice about blaming Jade if she had nightmares. Jade relaxed the tiniest bit when she felt Cheryl's grip on her hand tight. " _Fiat lux._ "

The sacred cross caught fire and then ignited with a brilliant, retina searing flash, blinding Cheryl and illumination a circle of fully-fledged winged demons, roiling broth of reptilian death, ready to pounce.

" _In nomine Patris mei, ut tu perditionem ad!_ " commanded Jade. Her eyes became alit like bright fire as she invoked the dark power within her. She had no wish to use such a power, but for creatures such as this, she had no choice if she was to stop them.

Red flame radiated from the cloth and demons shrieked as they were instantly vaporized. Jade tucked her burning hand into her coat pocket, extinguishing the flame. She released Cheryl's hand before she leaned down to a rubbery stain left from one of the burnt demon carcasses and shook her head in disbelief.

"Someone's getting rather bold," she murmured. First there was the girl, then the old man and now this? All this in just a matter of days was too much of a coincidence. Who or whatever was causing the Rising Darkness was getting bolder, more daring. Why else would they have gone after Jade's kinswoman in such a manner?

Cheryl was almost in hysterics. "What in heaven's name were those things? I saw wings—and teeth—and they were flying! What in heaven's name were those things?"

"They weren't from heaven, luv," said Jade. "They were from perdition." She scanned the area, trying to think it through. "To be more precise, they were seplavites, scavengers for the condemned. Demons. Normally, it's just a crossroads demon or perditionhound that goes after them, occasionally both. It's usually not the big boys, not unless their prize has worth beyond measure."

"They were after you?"

Jade shook her head. "If they'd wanted me, they would've come a long time ago. And these sons of bilge rats didn't show up until tonight. I left the bar before you did and was in plain sight and they never came near me. They weren't after me. They were after _you_."

Cheryl's eyes widened. "Me? What did I do?"

"It's not what you've done, it's who you are," said Jade. She should've known this was going to happen. Regardless of her life choices, Cheryl's blood was Jade's blood which made her a target. But it couldn't be _just_ because of Cheryl's relationship with Jade that she was being targeted out of the blue. No, there was something more to it. "Cheryl, are you _absolutely sure_ that Gemma wouldn't have committed suicide?"

Cheryl looked a bit thrown and then firmly replied, "Never in a million years."

"Then let's be sure," said Jade. "C'mon."

Jade began walking quickly and Cheryl almost had to jog to keep up with her.

"Be _sure?_ How?"

"Simple. I'll see if she's in perdition," said Jade, casually as though she was talking about going to the super market for a doughnut. "I'll pay perdition a little visit."

Cheryl gave her an incredulous look. "And I repeat, _how?_ How're you going to waltz in and out of that place in one piece if you're condemned? Last time I checked, people can't go there unless they're dead."

Jade fought the urge to make an exasperated noise. "You don't need to know the details just yet, all right? The gist of it is, I'm not like most people and as long as I'm alive, I can go to and fro from that place. Do you understand that?"

"Not really, but okay," said Cheryl.

 _Why do I always get stuck working with amateurs?_ wondered Jade, as she shook her head. "Just take me to your place and show me Gemma's bedroom."

As commanded, Cheryl took Jade to Cheryl's apartment and into Gemma's bedroom.

Save for the recent dustings, Gemma's bedroom was untouched. It was spotlessly clean and showed no sign of anyone living there recently. But Gemma's room was not for a normal girl of her age. Books of the occult, witchcraft, demonology and much more were on her bookshelves, candles and special markings were placed in orders that Jade recognized, a number of magical artifacts were on top of the dresser and special herbs hung by the window.

Jade stared at a photo of Gemma and her parents that was sitting on her dresser. From the look of Gemma's age and the smiles on their faces, it was obviously from happier times, a time when Gemma was carefree and innocent, before the Rising Darkness had entered Gemma's life and claimed it.

Cheryl came into the room, a grey she-cat followed close on her heels. "Everything that belonged to Gemma is in here. Nothing's been touched since she left. I could never bring myself to do more than dust and vacuum."

"Was the cat hers too?" asked Jade.

Cheryl nodded. "Yeah. Cassiel was hers. Why?"

Jade sat down in a chair and beckoned for the cat to join her. Cassiel leapt onto Jade's lap and began purring and nuzzling as Jade stroked her.

"Uh, Jade, why're you stroking the cat? I thought you had work to do," said Cheryl.

"This _is_ work," said Jade. "Cassiel was Gemma's familiar, a very rare kind that didn't share a life-force link with her but they were still bonded, which means she'll be connected to Gemma and have power that I'll need. And because familiars always find their masters, Cassiel can loan to me the same spell she uses, which'll make it easier to locate Gemma." She ceased stroking the feline. "That should be enough. Thanks, Cass."

Cassiel meowed affectionately and then left the room.

"Now, I need you to leave, Cher," said Jade.

Cheryl stubbornly shook her head. "I'm not leaving."

"That's not a request," said Jade, sternly. "Out. _Now._ "

Cheryl looked as though she wanted to refuse, but the look on Jade's face and the tone of her voice convinced her otherwise. She looked reluctant as she left the bedroom. Jade locked the bedroom door behind Cheryl and then turned to face the full-length mirror on the back of the door.

" _In nomine Patris mei, haec ego praecipio ostium aperire_ ," she chanted.

The lights in the room flickered and then it Jade was caught in a ghostly half-dim light as the reflection in the mirror rippled and then swirled and pulsed before changing from Jade and the room behind her, into that of perdition and all its dark and evil glory.

Jade took a deep breath as she stepped into the mirror and entered perdition.

Perdition was the same as ever it was and ever it would be—dark, hot, and reeking of sulfur. Perdition's kingdom, an endless string of ruins rested underneath a blood red sky partly covered by cloud black as pitch. Screams of the condemned echoed around her along that of whips and demons laughing at the misery of those around them. The mere sight of it was enough to kill Jade inside and sap of her of her strength.

The screams and cruel laughter faded as Jade stepped over a crumbling wall and onto a top overpass of a crumbling maze of intersecting freeways. Burnt-out husks of long-forgotten vehicles sit in rows of gridlock. On the horizon was a dying red sun, it strained to cut through the putrid brown haze. A low drone penetrated the silence.

" _Indica mihi, quem ad modum quaero_ ," murmured Jade.

Jade's eyes changed from human to that of a cat's and she saw the pathway leading her towards her niece. She followed the pull of the spell that guided her and cautiously stepped closer to the railing and looked down to the ribbons of twisting streets below. They're all crammed with teeming masses of the condemned. All were walking down in silence, their faces numbed with sorrow and grief. Gemma was not among them, but she was close by. Jade could feel it.

"Aunt Jade?"

At the sound of her niece's voice, she turned and saw Gemma standing by a dead tree on a hill in a pure white gown, and she was not alone. She was with Astra, and the little girl was being held in Gemma's protective embrace with her face buried in Gemma's chest. The low drone rose in pitch and Jade then spotted a huge blanket-like blackness crawling over the cityscape that was rapidly closing in on her.

Quickly, Jade ran towards Astra and her niece. She climbed up the hill, but before she could reach them, a spell sent her flying backwards and a shield appeared over Gemma and Astra. Jade groaned as she stood up. She didn't try to get closer to Gemma and Astra, but she didn't attempt leave them either.

"Gemma, what the bleeding—?"

"You shouldn't have come here," interrupted Gemma. She looked frightened and upset. It was hard to tell if it was her powers that were keeping her and Astra safe or Astra's, but either way, there was every possibility that it wouldn't last forever and they'd both be lost. "It's not safe here, even for you. If he finds you here, he'll kill you and then a new perdition will be risen on earth. You have to go and protect my mother!"

"Who?" demanded Jade. "Who's 'he'? Why's your mother so important to him?" She needed those questions answered and she was also finding it hard to leave Astra behind yet again, especially now that she was so close. "Who's behind the Rising Darkness?"

Astra raised her head and her brown eyes met Jade's. "You'll know soon enough. But you have to leave. He knows that you're here and he's coming for you. Please, go. I don't want you to get trapped here too!"

Jade hesitated. She'd never gotten this close to Astra. She knew she couldn't send Astra's soul to heaven, but at the same time, she was reluctant to part from her again.

"Aunt Jade, _please_ ," begged Gemma, desperately. "I know what Astra means to you, but if you don't go back and protect my mom and stop him, it'll all be for nothing. I thought I could stop him if I sacrificed myself, but I was wrong. He tricked me. Now, it's up to you. You've got to succeed where I failed." Her hand flew to her neck and she ripped off a locket and tossed it to Jade. "Go and give this to my mom. _Go._ "

Jade's heart broke as she caught the locket and she felt a new surge of determination. "I swear, I _will_ see you both again and I _will_ save you both." She then invoked the magic. " _Ad locum unde veni et de hoc!_ "

The world around her shifted and then Jade inhaled sharply as she found herself back inside Gemma's bedroom. She clutched Gemma's dresser for dear life as she could barely stand. Her body felt as though it were on fire and she felt weaker than a kitten. Normally, the trips she took to perdition didn't sap her strength like this, but she hadn't slept or eaten much in days, which hadn't been the wisest decision on her part and her illness didn't help matters much either.

"Cheryl!" she cried. "Cher, come back." She raised her hand and magically unlocked the door as Cheryl burst into the room.

"Make up your mind, will you? I just barely left and now you want me back? What's going—oh my…" Cheryl's eyes widened at the sight of Jade's state of being and she quickly slung Jade's arm around her shoulder, helping her to stand. "Jade, are you okay? What happened?"

Jade did not speak. She just lifted her hand and unfolded her palm, revealing Gemma's locket. Gemma had never taken off the locket as it had been a gift from her father before he died, but for some reason, it hadn't been found on Gemma's body when Gemma had died. The locket was proof that Jade had encountered Gemma in perdition.

"You were right, Cher," said Jade. "Gemma didn't kill herself. She sacrificed herself to stop the Rising Darkness. She's in perdition, but I swear, I'm going to do all I can to get her out."

Even as a semi-convert, this news completely floored Cheryl, who had fresh tears pooling in her eyes as she tightly grasped her daughter's locket.

The adrenaline and pain overwhelmed Jade and she passed out. Cheryl caught her before she hit the floor. Before the blackness claimed her, Jade had a moment of weakness and couldn't help but think how good it felt to be close to her sister again.

54


	2. Part Two

**Jade Constantine Part Two**

Several hours later, Jade awoke and over a steaming mug of coffee and a breakfast of bacon and eggs at Cheryl's kitchen table, told Cheryl everything. It was time for the elder Constantine sister to learn of not only Jade's past and what she was involved in, but also of their shared heritage and the burden that Jade had been carrying around with her all her life.

"Growing up, if anyone asked, I got into the occult stuff because of what happened to Mum. It was true. Mum's death was the main reason I opened my eyes to the supernatural world, so I could find a way to speak to her and apologize for killing her," said Jade.

All her life, Jade had wanted to find a way to converse with her mother in heaven. It hadn't only been Thomas's abuse that instilled guilt in Jade for Mary Ann's death, but also Jade's conscience when she'd learned of what a wonderful person and mother Mary Ann had been before she died. For that, she'd longed to speak with Mary Ann not just to tell her how sorry she was for killing her, but to also tell Mary Ann how much Jade loved her.

"You can't blame yourself for that, Jade," said Cheryl, sympathetically. "What happened to Mum wasn't your fault."

"I know that, Cher," said Jade. It'd taken her a long time, but she had finally accepted that Mary Ann's death wasn't her fault. "But Mum's death wasn't the only reason why I got into this stuff. It's also because for as long as I can remember, I've been able to see things I shouldn't be able to see, my survival instincts were beyond that of a normal human's along with my talents for trickery and con artistry. I wanted to know why. So, after a lot of research and a number of experiments, I got my answers.

"You probably didn't know it, but Mum was also a witch. And not just any witch, but the last surviving witch of the Laughing Magicians. The Laughing Magicians were a bloodline capable of using what's known as Synchronicity Wave Traveling and are very adept at rebuking and outsmarting anyone, even gods from all mythologies and religions. Some of them even managed to destroy or use gods for their own whims."

"And have you done such things?" asked Cheryl, with a strange look on her face. She seemed surprised to learn that her mother had been a witch and even more so to learn that those of her bloodline had the potential to rebuke, trick and even manipulate gods.

Jade smirked. "How do you think I got my reputation, luv?" Jade wasn't known just for sending demons back to perdition, but also for outfoxing a number of powerful entities and other dangerous sons of bilge rats. In fact, she tended to rely more on her skills as a con artist than that of her magic. "Anyway, while that part was fun. The next part of it wasn't." Jade's face fell and became solemn and grave. "Centuries ago, there was a prophecy. A prophecy that foretold that a child born of the Fallen One and one of the Laughing Magicians would have the power to be either heaven's greatest asset or perdition's darkest warrior.

"Lucifer rarely comes up from his throne down below. He dislikes this place to no extent. The last time he did was over thirty years ago and that was to possess a mortal man so he could conceive the heir he so desired. Once the mortal was possessed, the child would not be the mortal's. No, his genetics would briefly be replaced with the Fallen One's and the child would be half-Lucifer's, half of the mortal woman's. And the man he possessed was Thomas, Mum's husband. He tricked Mum and together, they conceived me."

Cheryl spat out her coffee and stared at her half-sister in disbelief.

"You're…?"

"Lucifer's half-breed spawn? Yeah," said Jade, scowling as she quickly blotted up the coffee with a paper towel. "Lucifer decided he wanted the perfect heir, a powerful one that would have every demon's strength but none of the weaknesses. One that could blend in with the humans and do his bidding. Even without the prophecy, Mum's powers and bloodline made her the perfect target, so he chose her. Only, his plans didn't quite work out like he planned. I'm not on his side, but even though I fight on the good side, heaven doesn't favor me. So, if you look at it that way, I'm a neutral force. It's part of the reason he wants me so badly. Because once I die, my soul's his to twist and do with what he likes, so he'll turn me into his favorite attack dog."

"Good heavens…" breathed Cheryl. She looked horrified and distraught. "And you've been carrying that around all these years?"

"Yep," said Jade, popping the 'p.' "And believe me, when I found out, I was bloody mad about it." But Jade was putting her feelings mildly. When she'd discovered her lineage, she'd gone berserk. She felt that she was tainted, that she'd been condemned from the moment she was conceived and an abomination that shouldn't exist. It'd taken her quite some time to come to terms with what she was. When she had, Jade swore she would never be Lucifer's puppet and renounced her father. "But unfortunately, I can't bind my demonic half. Lucifer's too strong, even for me. It's ironic. I'm the most powerful of demon exorcists and the mistress of the dark arts and the only reason that's even remotely possible is because I'm half-witch, half-demon, the only one of my kind."

Being Lucifer's daughter came with benefits: supernatural powers beyond mortal comprehension, a throne and great respect had she wished it and not renounced Lucifer; but there was also great cost as well. Those on the good side who knew of Jade's lineage saw her as abomination, those on evil's side saw her as a traitor. And Jade's rare use of her demonic powers wasn't solely a matter of rebellion against her father, but also because her demonic powers were like a drug that consumed her from the inside. Jade's potential was limitless, but she refused to embrace it, lest she lose herself in the process and truly become what Lucifer wanted.

Cheryl looked shaken. "So, when you said Thomas wasn't your father, you didn't just mean because of what he did to you, but also literally. Good gads…"

Jade let that sink in before she continued her story. "Not long after I left, I made a number enemies and allies. Two of my allies are angels."

" _Angels?_ " echoed Cheryl, in stunned disbelief.

"Don't get too excited, luv. Angels aren't exactly you're told in Sunday School. A lot of them are bloody, hypocritical, self-righteous, cryptic morons," warned Jade. She scowled as she thought of Gabriel, who'd faded from her small list of friends and allies and was slowly heading towards the other list. "But there's one that I can usually count on, if need be. His name's Manny."

Cheryl looked interested. "Why do I get the feeling that Manny's more than just an ally?"

"He was more than that once. Not so much anymore. It's too risky right now." Jade swallowed painfully. "I met Manny that first year I ran away. We…we were lovers and we had a daughter that same year. Her name was Astra." There. She'd said it. She'd finally admitted her secret. The little girl she'd failed, the one she'd tried to save at Newcastle, was her own child.

Cheryl's eyes widened. "Astra Rouge? The girl who died at Newcastle? She was your daughter?"

Jade sadly nodded. "The same. And before you ask, no, I didn't raise her. I gave her up."

"You what?" Granted, sometimes it was the best choice for the child, but being a former mother herself, Cheryl couldn't imagine doing such a thing. "Why?"

Jade sighed as she gazed into her half-full coffee mug. "I know what you're thinking, but giving Astra up wasn't the easiest decision for me. Astra was one of the few good things I had. She was pure innocence and love; something I'd never been nor had I ever experienced in my life. Manny and I wanted to keep her, but Gabriel—"

"Gabriel?" interrupted Cheryl, incredulously. "The archangel? Are you kidding me?"

"No. Anyway, he pointed out a few things that I couldn't ignore. Usually, abuse victims don't make the best parents and regardless, my personality and habits didn't make my qualifications much better either. I didn't care about that and neither did Manny, but there were other points to Gabriel's argument, questions he asked that I had no good answer to. Such as; what would've happened if word got out that Lucifer's half-breed daughter's child was fathered by a bloody angel or if it was made known that _Jade Constantine_ , the infamous demon exorcist, had had a child. Do you know what would've happened? That child would've been seen as an abomination, a threat to the survival of the supernatural. The child would've had a target on their back and would never know a normal life or be happy. I hated the idea of giving her up, but I hated the idea of her being hurt far more, as did her father.

"But Manny, who's usually such a stickler for the rules, was willing to bend them for Astra's sake. He thought we could protect her, that he could pop down when needed and she could be raised with us. But Gabriel persuaded me to do what had to be done and eventually, I did the same to Manny. Powerful protection and cloaking spells were placed on Astra when she was born, to keep her safe from the supernatural, and then she was adopted by some good, normal friends of mine. We thought she'd be safe and would lead the kind of life that I never could. And for a long time, that's how it was. I checked on her now and then. When she was ten, she found out she was adopted and that I was her mother. We ended up talking. I didn't tell her about what I am or about her father being an angel, but I made sure that she knew that the only reason I gave her up was because I loved her and wanted better for her.

"That was the last I saw of her for two years. Then when she was twelve, my band and I were touring in Newcastle and I encountered her again. This time, she wasn't in a good place. Her adopted parents were dead and somehow, every spell I'd placed on her had been broken, even the binding spell which shouldn't have been possible. She was being possessed by a demon called Norfulthing and it was wreaking havoc everywhere. People were dying and Astra was also suffering serious damage. When my attempt to banish him didn't work; I persuaded my friends to join me in summoning another demon that we would control and use to save Astra."

"Your band members had powers too?" asked Cheryl, surprised.

Jade nodded. "Oh, yeah. There were magicians, conjurors, psychics, and even an occult expert. Together we were a powerful force. Anyway, we summoned Nergal, a demon of higher power than Norfulthing, and it should've worked. It should've saved Astra. But something went wrong. The spell backfired. Nergal broke free of our control and he…" Jade's throat tightened as she felt the burn of tears in her eyes as she thought of that horrible day when she'd lost her daughter. "He dealt with Norfulthing, but he destroyed Astra to do it. She was killed and dragged into perdition and all we could do was watch. She's been trapped there ever since and because the spell was my doing, I was condemned for perdition as well."

"Oh, gads. Jade…" Cheryl rose up from her seat and held Jade tight in her arms.

Jade allowed herself a moment of weakness and wept into her sister's shoulder for a good long while. She grieved for the life she could've led with Astra, she wept over her failure in saving Astra and she cried over her daughter's condemnation and her inability to free Astra's soul to heaven where it belonged. Eventually, Jade pulled away from Cheryl and sipped more of her coffee.

"No one was the same after that. My band disbanded and everyone was left broken in some way. It was hard to say who was the worst off, but some think it was me, because after Astra died, I had a breakdown and was sent to Ravenscar. For most of it, I was a catatonic vegetable, but for the rest, Gemma got through to me somehow. She helped me heal. After two years, I was sane again, but I was hesitant to get back into the field again."

"What changed?" asked Cheryl. "What got you out?"

Jade smiled. "More like _who_ got me out, luv. Jasper Winters, an old friend of mine who passed away, slapped me back into action again. His daughter was in serious trouble and he reminded me that I'd promised to look after her if anything happened to him. Now, Jasper had to possess a patient to get my attention, but it worked. I've been out fighting against the Rising Darkness ever since, trying to stop it."

Cheryl frowned. "You mentioned the Rising Darkness earlier. What's that all about?"

"Short version? Someone or something powerful has changed the rulebook. He's trying to create a new perdition on earth. The Rising Darkness is infecting everything, people, places, and even supernatural creatures, giving them power they shouldn't have and corrupting them. And word is, it's going to happen soon. One of my contacts said it was going be heralded by one shares my blood and is aided by one I call friend that's betrayed me."

Cheryl paled. "One of your blood? You…you don't think that _I_ could…?"

"For crying out loud, no!" said Jade, exasperated. Cheryl was the last suspect on Jade's list. Despite her bloodline and potential, Cheryl had never performed so much as the simplest spell and she didn't see what Jade saw because she'd chosen to run from it. There was no way that Cheryl could be the one that Luna spoke of. "I don't know who the bloody heck it is. For all I know, it's a dead relative from the other side, but I _don't know!_ All I _do_ know is that I need to keep you safe. Because whatever's out there, has decided you're its next target."

"But why _me?_ " pressed Cheryl. She didn't understand it at all. She'd never dabbled in magic. She'd stayed far away from that. It didn't make sense for her to be targeted.

"That's what we've got to find out," said Jade. "Anyway, there's more you need to know. Heaven and perdition are right here, behind every wall, every face—the world behind the world. It's crossing over that's the real trick. That's why angels usually need a host to visit our plane, why most demons can only whisper in our ears. But even a whisper can turn your favorite pleasure into your worst nightmare.

"But the worst demons are the ones that're allowed to be here, the ones that have weaknesses but they're half-human so they can blend in, just like those with an angel's touch living alongside of us. The half-breeds. They call it the balance. I call it hypocritical bull shark. So, when one of them gets a little cocky, peddles their influence or hijacks a soul, I deport their sorry hide back to perdition where it belongs. I haven't gotten them all, but maybe someday I'll get enough to earn some mercy from the higher-ups."

Cheryl raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you're trying to buy your way into heaven."

Jade snorted. "It doesn't work that way. But if I could, I would. Wouldn't you if Lucifer was planning on turning you into his favorite weapon and half the inmates of perdition were put there by you? Terrifying to think of, isn't it?"

"But why haven't you earned redemption yet? I mean, with all the good you've done…" Cheryl's voice wandered off as Jade shrugged.

"I don't know. And frankly, I don't care. All that matters to me is saving my daughter. She doesn't deserve to be down there."

Cheryl placed her hand on Jade's. "Maybe this is the way to do it. I mean, it's said that God has a plan for all of us."

"Not for me," said Jade, bitterly.

There was a long moment's silence that was broken by the sound of cell phones going off. Cheryl and Jade answered their phones.

"It's my work. Detective Masters," said Cheryl.

"Hey, Chas. What's up?" asked Jade. Her mug broke and her face fell and became contorted with anger when Chas gave her the message. " _What?!_ Where? When?"

Twenty minutes later, Cheryl and Jade had arrived at a crime scene.

Cheryl's captain had called about a mysterious death that had occurred in the early hours of the morning and had gathered quite a crowd, for it had taken place at a fancy restaurant.

Jade slammed the car door shut and stormed past the police officers and crowd to examine the body. Fresh anger and grief threatened to overwhelm her when she saw the body of the dead man. It was Gary Lester. His shirt was speckled with blood; his face was contorted in pain and his forehead and bore the markings of a demon binding spell.

"Why didn't you call me, you stupid sod?" she murmured. Either Gary had bitten off more than he could chew, or he'd been noble and sacrificed himself for the greater good. Either way, Jade had lost yet another soul she cared about and the guilt and grief of it all weighed heavily on her heart.

Jade closed Gary's eyes and placed a crucifix in his palm.

"In Dominum curam tuam, et in misericordia despicias eum amplexibus," she murmured.

Chas placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Jade."

"Don't be sorry. Just tell me who did this so I can kill them," said Jade.

Whoever had messed with Gary was going to be sorry. Jade would make them beg for death once she got her hands on them.

"The story came on the news. I got the whole thing from a witness. A hunger demon in the form of a swarm of insects was on the loose. Whoever it possessed was eaten from the inside. It kept destroying hosts and killing anyone that stood in its way," said Chas. "Gary tried everything to stop it, but he ended up sacrificing himself in the process. He forced it to possess him and after he'd acquired control, he bound it to him. When he died, so did it. The witness swears she saw an African-American man with wings enfold Gary in bright light after that and then he disappeared."

So, Gary _had_ died being noble and Manny had managed to ensure his soul went to heaven for his sacrifice. It was small comfort to know Gary was safe and at peace, but at least it meant Jade wasn't going to have to douse Gabriel in holy oil to ensure it.

"Did he say anything before he died?" asked Jade.

Chas reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with a symbol drawn on it. "He drew this before he died. Told the witness to give it to either you or I. Said it was important to figuring out the identity of the one behind the Rising Darkness."

Jade snatched the paper from Chas and looked it over. It was familiar, but she couldn't place it. She then showed it to Cheryl, who was speaking with her captain. "Does this look familiar to you?"

Cheryl frowned. "The same symbol was on Gemma's wrist before it disappeared when she died. How did you—?"

"I need to see where Gemma died," interrupted Jade. She stuffed the paper into her pocket. "Chas, did you claim Gary's body?"

Chas nodded. "I'll make sure he's buried properly. Go."

So, without further ado, Cheryl took Jade to the one place she never believed she'd return to: Ravenscar.

When they arrived, Jade was taken to the roof of the Institution.

Nothing seemed out of place. There was gravel, an AC and heating unit and a water tank anchored to it and even a fire escape, but nothing that caught Jade's attention. She didn't even see anything special from the view from the rooftop.

"Tell me more about Gemma. What did she get into?" asked Jade.

"Seances, crystals, channeling…her dad thought she was just trying to get attention. She certainly did that," said Cheryl. "She'd tell everyone about things she saw. Crazy things. Things that hadn't happened yet. I knew it was probably real, but no one else did and I tried to get her to stay away from it all, to keep silent, but she was so stubborn. She refused. She scared her father half to death, talking on and on about the end of the world. Then when she came back after her disappearance, she just ceased talking. It was like she was just a sperdition."

Jade scowled. Gemma had probably encountered something nasty and even though Cheryl knew about the supernatural, she hadn't tried to help Gemma and now the poor girl was dead because of it all.

"So, you put her in here."

Cheryl glared before sadness and guilt crossed her face. She didn't need to be reminded. It hurt even more now.

"Let's go to her room." Jade figured they hadn't changed Gemma's living quarters in the last two years. The only reason Jade had been her roommate in the first place was because the hospital records showed them beyond blood-kin.

As they headed toward Gemma's room, a nurse appeared from around the corner walking with a young boy. When the boy saw the two women, he ran towards Jade with arms outstretched.

"Barry!" scolded the nurse.

"It's fine. No worries," assured Jade. She scooped the boy into her arms as she smiled. "Hey, Barry. How you doing? You being a good boy?"

Barry nodded and hugged Jade tightly before turning his attention to Cheryl, who was wearing Gemma's locket. He reached out his hand and held it in his palm and then looked at her with great confusion.

"Barry's a special case. He used to sit with me and Gemma and share meals with us," explained Jade. "Personally, I think he had a crush on her."

"I think so too," said the nurse. "I must say, it's a surprise to see you, Miss Constantine. Is there something the matter?"

"Unfortunately, yes," said Jade, as she placed Barry down. "Gemma Masters. My niece. She died here a few days ago. This is her mother, my sister Detective Cheryl Master. I was hoping we could look through Gemma's old room; see if we could find anything of hers, like a notebook or a diary—just something to give us a little peace or explanation for this terrible occurrence."

The nurse looked sympathetic as she took Barry back. "How tragic. I'm so sorry. Well, I don't know of any notebook, but feel free to look through Gemma's room. It hasn't been filled yet, so I imagine there might be something there. Now, if you'll excuse me." She took Barry away, but the boy's eyes didn't leave Cheryl or Jade.

"Sweet kid. I hope he gets better," said Cheryl.

"You and me both," admitted Jade.

Jade then went into the room she'd once shared with Gemma. She gave it a thorough scan. It seemed just the same as when Jade left it. Spotlessly clean with white walls with minimal furniture and a niece view of the courtyard.

"How long was she here?"

"Three years," said Cheryl.

Jade began rummaging through Gemma's furniture. She pulled out every dresser drawer and looked through them from top to bottom.

"I already did all that," said Cheryl.

Jade ignored her and ran her hands under the steel bed frame.

"Now, you're just insulting me," said Cheryl, annoyed.

"You don't walk off a building without leaving something behind," said Jade.

"Everything of hers was in her bedroom," reminded Cheryl. "The only thing that wasn't was her locket, which you brought back."

"Which is useless," said Jade. "She would've left something else. Something more personal." She gazed at her sister as an idea came to her. "Something just for you. You were her mother, Cheryl. Nine times out of ten, a parent and a child think alike."

Cheryl didn't like the look on Jade's face. "I'm not my daughter."

"Doesn't matter. You share her blood. You're connected to her. You spent every waking hour with her. You always knew when she was in trouble, when she needed you most, and sometimes you could guess what she was thinking just by looking at her. That kind of bond doesn't just disappear!" Jade slowly became more aggressive, causing Cheryl to back up in fear. "She planned her death in this room; she thought it up right where you're standing."

Cheryl backed away as Jade advanced. "Stop it! You're scaring me."

"She _knew_ you'd come. She _knew_ if she gave you my picture, you'd come looking for me. She counted on you to see what she saw, to feel what she felt, to do what she did. What did she _do_ , Cheryl?" demanded Jade.

"How should I know?" demanded Cheryl.

Jade growled in frustration. _Would it kill my idiot sibling to think?_ "What did she do, Cheryl?"

"I don't know!"

"What would _you_ do?"

Cheryl was now backed up against the wall and Jade was blocking her only way out.

"What would you leave her? What would it be? Where would it be? _WHERE WOULD IT BE?_ "

Cheryl lashed out and shoved Jade hard, almost pushing Jade out of her way. She turned to the window and was almost hyperventilating. Jade stayed back and watched as Cheryl opened her eyes. The tension seemed to flow right out of her when she saw what was in the courtyard.

"The tree," murmured Cheryl.

Pleased that she'd finally gotten somewhere, Jade immediately ran outside. In the lit courtyard stood a lone tree. It was a perfectly ordinary tree and nothing stood out to Jade when she examined it at first, not until she saw the same symbol from before drawn on the ground. And there was more, but Cheryl wasn't paying much attention. She was too busy trying to rationalize what she'd seen and said in Gemma's room.

"There _must've_ been a tree at our old house before we moved here…"

Jade ignored her as her fingers traced against an engraving in the tree's bark.

 **cor 14:01**

"Cher, look at this," said Jade.

Cheryl snapped out of her musings and looked at the engraving. "Cor…?"

"Corinthians," explained Jade.

Cheryl shook her head. "Corinthians doesn't have fourteen acts."

"Not here, no. So, why would she write that? Unless…" Jade paled and then face palmed as it came to her. "Oh, no. No, no, no, _no!_ How could I have been so bloody stupid?"

"What is it? What's wrong?" asked Cheryl, alarmed.

"We need to get to a church. _Now_. Pray that I'm wrong, because if I'm not then we are in some serious trouble. And not just us, but the whole bloody planet!" said Jade, gravely.

If Gemma's message and the symbol were what Jade though they were, then the apocalypse was going to happen soon and be a lot worse than even Jade had imagined.

Cheryl took Jade to the nearest church, her own.

Several families sat in the chapel in solemn prayer. The pastor comforted a man and wife. Jade and Cheryl slipped through the meeting and headed for the shelves of reference books on the back wall. As they did so, Jade whispered to Cheryl, "Corinthians goes to twenty-one acts in the book of Ethenius. It's like a dark mirror of the Bible. It paints a different view of Revelations, says that the world will not come to an end at the hand of God, but be reborn in the embrace of the condemned."

Cheryl looked confused. "There's a difference?"

"Depends on which side of the fence you're standing." Jade stopped and casually placed her hand on the hanging mirror on the wall.

"So, why haven't I seen this book here before?" asked Cheryl.

"Because it doesn't exist here on this side," said Jade. She closed her eyes, turned her back to Cheryl and silently invoked the magic. Like before, time slowed down to a halt, the lights flickered and caught Cheryl mid-question.

When Jade opened her eyes, she found herself in the epitome of blasphemy—a church in perdition. Only, no one worshiped God in there and it wasn't His Son on the cross and the stained glass windows were slate black. Jade faced shelves of books with completely different markings. She searched as a drone rose in pitch and an inky blackness began to flow down from the walls, getting closer to her with each heartbeat. She found the book she was looking for, stepped back and closed her eyes.

"…not here on this side?" finished Cheryl.

Time resumed its normal pace and Jade was back on the mortal plane. She was now covered in sweat and turned around, holding a book that Cheryl had never seen before.

"Where did that come from?" asked Cheryl. Her nose wrinkled. "And why're you all sweaty?"

"Not important!" said Jade, impatiently, as she began quickly flipping through the book. "13:29…13:30…ah-ha! Here it is. Corinthians 14:01. ' _The sins of the father would only be exceeded by the ego of the son._ ' Oh, crap!"

"Whose son?" demanded Cheryl.

Jade didn't hear her. "I should've figured it out immediately. One of my blood, obviously not my mortal kin, just my _immortal_ ones. The symbol isn't a demon's. That's why it seemed so familiar, not a normal possession," she said to herself.

"Jade, what're you talking about?"

"But he can't cross over. It's impossible for the son to cross over…" muttered Jade.

Cheryl smacked Jade's shoulder, finally getting her attention. "Jade, whose son? God's?"

Jade shook her head. "No. My father's son. _Lucifer's_ son. My big half-brother, Mammon."

Cheryl looked frightened and the Jade's phone vibrated. She checked it and saw that she'd gotten a text from Ellie.

 _ **Jade, need help**_

 _ **freakshows coming after me**_

 _ **at my apartment**_

 _ **can't take them by myself**_

"We've got to go. My friend's in trouble. I'll fill you in on the way."

Cheryl wanted to question Jade further, but the alarm on her face convinced her to do otherwise.

During the car ride to Ellie's apartment, Jade filled Cheryl in on the story of Mammon.

Cheryl even turned on the siren to clear away the traffic and she quickly drove through the busy streets of the city.

"The myth says that Mammon was conceived before Lucifer's fall from grace, but was born after. But unlike the old man, Mammon's never been in the presence of the Creator, so he has no fear of him and no respect either. That goes double for us humans—God's most prize creations. Mammon would be the _last_ demon we'd ever want crossing over."

"But full-fledged demons like him can't come and go, that's what you said," said Cheryl.

"Unless they found a bridge," said Jade, giving her a look. "Like a psychic witch from the Laughing Magician's bloodline, who had the chops to reach all the way to perdition and the grit to withstand whatever bull shark she'd pull out."

Cheryl paled and looked ill. "Gemma…"

"But even a bridge wouldn't help Mammon. Because to cross over, the myth says he'd still need the one thing he could never get. Divine assistance, the help of God."

Cheryl sank back into her chair as this sank in. "So, it's impossible."

"Impossible? Sure, it's impossible. That's what makes it so dangerous. These things exist to break the rules, to find the loopholes. If the past is any indication, then the future isn't on our side," said Jade. Her face darkened with anger. "That's why the darkness was after Astra in perdition. He's trying to use her. When she died, the binding spell on her genes was undone. Her angelic genes would make her what he needs if he had no other alternative."

Suddenly, it all made sense. What happened to Astra was no freak accident. Someone powerful had deliberately undone the protection spells on Astra, exposed her to Mammon and then purposely sabotaged the spell that would've saved her from Norfulthing. Someone wanted Astra dead so she could be used for the Rising Darkness, only it wasn't working as intended, so now something else was afoot.

"Wait, I don't get it. If Gemma sacrificed herself, if she died to keep Mammon locked up, then why is she in perdition?" asked Cheryl. "Why isn't she in heaven?"

"Mammon must've snatched her soul before it could ascend, claimed that the manner of her death meant it was bound for perdition." But why he'd do such a thing, Jade couldn't explain. Mammon didn't usually go for revenge. There was no point in claiming Gemma's soul. It didn't make sense. Why keep Gemma's soul and go after Cheryl?

Cheryl's car pulled into the parking lot of Ellie's apartment building and Jade was out of it before she put the car in park.

Jade ran up to Ellie's door and banged on it after finding it was locked. "Ellie! Ellie, open the door! _Ellie!_ "

But there was no reply, which unsettled Jade. This wasn't right.

"Maybe she's not here," said Cheryl.

Jade shook her head. "Ellie keeps to a schedule. It's not one of her date or work nights, which means she's here." Her guts were churning inside her. Something was really wrong. Jade then backed up and slammed into the door, breaking it down.

Ellie's apartment, normally a beautiful, luxurious place, was completely trashed and looked like a warzone. The furniture was destroyed, the windows were shattered, blood and other crap was everywhere, and worst still, in the center of the room was a skeleton. The skeleton had very little skin left on it and on the skeleton's neck was Ellie's favorite necklace.

"Oh, gads…" said Cheryl, looking sickened.

"Oh, please, no," murmured Jade, distraught. _Not Ellie. Why did it have to be her?_

"Oh, Jade, I'm so sorry…" said Cheryl, softly.

Jade then lost it and started screaming. "Who are you?! Answer me! Reveal yourself! I summon you!" She angrily ripped her trench coat off and ripped her sleeves up, revealing two distinct tattoos on her forearms. She slammed them together with all her might and clenched her eyes tight as she concentrated. The veins in her arms and neck bulged and looked ready to explode.

Cheryl stepped back in awe as the air around Jade's outstretched arms began to warp and tear a faint hole right into another world right in the middle of the apartment.

"In the name of my father, I command thee! Into the light I command thee! Into the light, I command—" Jade was cut off when she launched into a painful coughing fit that caused her arms to separate and collapse to her knees.

It was then that Cheryl finally saw just how sick her younger half-sister truly was. Jade's face was paler and pastier than ever, Cheryl could feel Jade's bones beneath her fingertips and worse still, there were flecks of blood on the carpet from where Jade had been coughing.

"This is my fault…" murmured Jade, as she became choked with guilt and grief. "Death follows me like the plague and I sent them right to his door! I sent them to their deaths…I'm a freaking one-woman plague…"

"Jade, I'm taking you to the hospital. You need a doctor—" began Cheryl.

"I'VE SEEN A BLOODY DOCTOR!" yelled Jade.

Cheryl actually flinched and backed away in fear and then fear on her face was replaced with horrified realization. Jade knew that Cheryl knew what Jade hadn't told her: Jade was dying.

Jade stood and almost stumbled. Cheryl tried to help, but Jade smacked her hand away and shot her an intense glare.

"Get away from me!"

"Jade…?"

"Stay the bloody heck away from me," said Jade, as her voice cracked. "Please." She used the handrail to walk away while Cheryl just stood there, confused by her own emotions. Cheryl turned back to the carnage when she heard the distant sirens. When Cheryl turned around again, Jade had disappeared.

The following day, Jade sat alone in the living room of the Mill House, simmering.

Her trench coat was tossed carelessly across the couch and her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows. She held a lit cigarette, but she didn't dare put it to her lips. Instead, she sipped her glass of whiskey. Inside the Mill House, she was cut off from the outside world, away from the police asking stupid questions, and away from all the craziness and nightmares. It wouldn't last forever, but it would last long enough.

"Lung cancer. Terminal lung cancer. You didn't think that was something I needed to know about, Jade?"

Jade sighed as she put out her cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table. "I really need to improve the security of this place. How'd you know to find me?"

"I didn't. But I managed to track down your taxi driver pal, Chas. He seemed worried, so he told me where to find you. He told me you and I needed each other, now more than ever," said Cheryl, as she sat down beside Jade. "And before you ask, I also subpoenaed your medical records. I know you're sick, Jade. Why didn't you tell me?"

Jade resisted the urge to snap at her and forced herself to speak calmly. "You didn't need to know. It wasn't relevant to the case. Besides, it's none of your business."

Cheryl gapped at her. "' _Wasn't relevant…_ ' Good grief, Jade! I just found you again and you think your death isn't something I should know? Gads, what the heck were you thinking? You…"

"For Lucifer's sake, shut it!" interrupted Jade, agitated. "I admit it, I hid and I lied about my health! So what? I'm a con artist, it's what I _do!_ Who the bloody heck cares? You know now, anyway! So drop it!" The world was going to come to an end soon and all Cheryl was upset about was Jade's lies about her health? The woman _really_ needed to sort out her priorities!

There was a moment's tense silence.

"There were no trees in our backyard," said Cheryl, quietly.

Jade glanced up at her sister. "Begging your pardon, luv?"

"There were no trees in our back yard," she repeated. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Jade was silent. Cheryl was right. Jade _had_ known that there were no trees in Gemma's yard, but she knew that there was every chance that Cheryl shared a mental link of some kind with Gemma and would know where to find a message from Gemma. Jade met her sister's eyes and saw the questions piling up in them.

"You see something in me. The potential to be what you are, what Gemma was…what she and you both had…" said Cheryl.

Jade shook her head. "No one can be like me. Can you be like Gemma? Maybe. But it doesn't matter. You need to go home, Cheryl."

"What?"

"You ran away from all this once before sixteen years ago. You need to do it again. I'll place protection and cloaking spells on you so you can go back to your normal life and pretend none of this ever happened. Forget about it all, forget about me. I don't care what you do, just get out while you have the chance and this time; don't come back."

Cheryl looked taken aback and then angry. "Even if that were possible, give me one good reason why I should."

Jade growled in anger. "Because a door swings both ways and once you fully open up to that world, to _my_ world, you're inviting whatever's out there back in. That's what happened to Gemma, and it's what happened to me."

"Well, obviously, I'm not Gemma or you, am I?"

Jade lost her temper and tossed her glass. It flew over Cheryl's head and shattered into pieces when it hit the wall. Both women stood up and faced each other.

"For heaven's sake, Cheryl!" hissed Jade. "Are you _completely_ out of your mind? You have no idea what you're getting yourself into! Ever hear the term 'ignorance is bliss'? Well, it's true! You denied what you are, the gifts you have, while Gemma and I didn't! We embraced it, and you know what, _you're_ the one who's better off! Gemma's dead and my life's so screwed up, that my daughter's rotting perdition and I'm headed straight there too! You, you still have a chance at a normal life! But if you stay with me, if you stick to this path, that'll change."

Jade grabbed Cheryl's arm and forced her to walk to the door. She ignored Cheryl's protests.

"People around me _die_ , Cheryl! Do you understand that? I do not want and nor do I need another bloody ghost following me around."

Cheryl yanked herself free of Jade's grip and glared at Jade. "Dang it, Jade! They killed my daughter! They took her from me and now she's rotting in perdition because I couldn't save her!" That stopped Jade cold. "If anyone knows what that's like, it's you. I can't and I _won't_ let them get away with that! You think I want any of this? You're wrong. I don't! If I could go back to a normal life, I would, but I can't! If stopping these sons of bilge rats means going down the same path she did, so be it. Now, if you won't help me get there, I'll find my own way. But I won't run, not again. _Never_ again."

The two sisters stood there, locked in the moment.

"Please, Jade…" whispered Cheryl.

Jade couldn't believe this was happening. She always believed that Cheryl would never want to be part of Jade's world, but Jade had forgotten that it wasn't just her world, it was Cheryl's as well. Much as she hated to admit it, Cheryl had a right to be involved. Like Jade, she'd lost her daughter to perdition's forces and she felt the need to punish those involved and prevent the same tragedy from occurring ever again. And it would help Jade to have a fresh set of eyes for the work. But before any of that happened, she needed to make one thing clear to Cheryl.

"If you do this, there's no turning back. You see them and they'll see you. And this time, it can't be shut off, the door won't be closed. Understand?"

Cheryl never blinked as she nodded in agreement.

Jade took Cheryl to the bathroom and began filling the tub with water.

If Cheryl was going to be part of this, if she was going to see what Jade saw, then she had to have a near-death experience.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Cheryl, uncertainly.

"Yes," said Jade. She switched off the water when it rose high enough. "Get over here and sit."

Cheryl hesitantly slid off her jacket and then grabbed Jade's shoulder for balance as she lowered herself into the tub. "Why water?"

"Because water's a reflective surface, which makes it a universal conduit and it lubricates the transition from one plane to another. And before you ask, no, there's no water in perdition," said Jade. She gripped Cheryl's hand as she slid into the tub. "Normally, only a portion of the body has to be suspended, but since you wanted the crash course, this is the only way."

"Got it. So, what'll I see?" asked Cheryl. The water was up to her neck now.

The look in Jade's eyes answered her. Enough.

"Lie down," said Jade. "You've got to be fully submerged."

Cheryl eyed the water warily. "For how long?"

"As long as it takes. Here…" Jade gently cupped the back of Cheryl's neck and then tightly gripped her hand. "I'm going to be here the entire time, okay? I won't leave, I swear it. But know this: this is your last chance. So, are you still onboard with this?"

Cheryl still looked scared but she tightly gripped Jade's hand and then she nodded. "For Gemma and for Astra."

"Okay. Take a deep breath and close your eyes," said Jade.

Cheryl took a deep breath and held it as she closed her eyes. Jade released her neck and then she settled to the bottom, her eyes riveted on Jade's the entire time.

Jade maintained a tight grip on her sister's hand, keeping her anchored to the mortal plane. For a moment, nothing happened as Cheryl lay on the bottom of the tub, but then the panic settled in. She started to surface but Jade pushed her head back to the bottom. Cheryl wouldn't be able to hold her breath much longer, it wasn't working. But then the room's lighting began to pulsate as if the current were ramping down. It slowed to a dim half-light as Jade's eyes closed for a single blink. In the time it took for her to blink just once, the water in the tub began to boil and Cheryl screamed for all of her life.

The water muffled the sound but not the fury, which stunned Jade. She knew Cheryl had the potential to be powerful, but she'd never suspected she could be _this_ powerful. There was another scream and then the tub began to crack and water streamed onto the tile. Jade lunged and grabbed Cheryl, pulling her up from the water. Cheryl's muffled screams shattered the air as her mouth broke the surface. Cheryl slammed hard against Jade's chest, her arm wrapped tight and her fingers dug into Jade's back, leaving marks that could scar. The tub then gave way and the dam broke. Jade and Cheryl went down and hit the tile as one, water washed over them both.

Cheryl slid off of Jade and onto the floor, trembling. She looked up at Jade, her eyes filled with revelation. "All those people…so sad…"

"Shh…" soothed Jade. She helped Cheryl to stand and wrapped a bathrobe around her. "I know, luv. I know."

"All my life, I've always known…on the job, I've always known where the bad guys are…where to aim, when to duck…always been able to talk myself of something…it's not just luck. I've always known…" Tears streamed down Cheryl's cheeks and then her eyes clamped tight in pain. "How do you live like this, Jade?"

Jade rubbed circles on Cheryl's back. "I push past it. I smoke a bit, and down some whiskey and a whole lot of gin. But most of all, I remind myself that there's something a lot scarier than demons out there, something that even they fear. Me."

Cheryl chuckled before she buried her face in Jade's shoulder. She took several deep breaths to calm herself down before she reached into her pocket.

"I almost forgot. I found this at Ellie's place. I don't know what it means, but maybe it might help you find out who killed her," said Cheryl.

Jade took the offered item and examined it. As she did so, her face became dark with rage and some of the lights exploded.

"SON OF A BILGE RAT!" she roared, making Cheryl jump a foot.

"What? What is it?"

"Balthazar," growled Jade.

Cheryl had found Balthazar's trade mark coin at Ellie's apartment. Ellie would never go near someone like Balthazar, even if he promised her the world, which meant only one thing: Balthazar had killed Ellie and he'd set the hunger demon loose, knowing that Gary would come across it and sacrifice himself to stop it. Gary's death hadn't been coincidence. It'd been a hit, just like Ellie's. And worst of all, he'd clearly aided in the attempted attack on Cheryl and what happened with Gemma. Balthazar was going to pay dearly for this.

A bowling bag was flipped over and the contents were dumped onto the table.

Powder, bugs and bullets went everywhere. Jade retrieved the odd-tipped bullets. The brass knuckles and the copper pipe were taken as well before she removed Christian relics from a display cabinet. Among them was the pure platinum Flask of Divinity and the hollow shaft of an iron cross. They were all striking pieces individually, but when twisted and locked together, they formed one of the ultimate weapons—the Holy Shotgun.

Jade swung the cross down and poured a pound of blasting powder into the husk, chambered a special bullet into one of the ten barrels and snapped it shut before giving it a test run. She fired it into the fireplace, the bullet left a trail of flame as it streaked out across the Mill House.

Behind her, dressed in dry clothes, Cheryl watched, both in fear and in awe. She'd only ever seen Jade like this once before, on the day that Thomas died, and she pitied Balthazar because of it. You had to be either completely insane or stupid to tick off Jade Constantine and expect to get away unscathed.

"Jade, are you sure you can kill him?" asked Cheryl. "Won't that affect the balance?"

"I don't give a rat's rear end about the bloody balance! That piece of filth tipped it when he started killing off my friends!" said Jade, furiously. "I'm just giving it a little counterweight." She grabbed the shot gun, it made a ka-chink noise. "That filth is going to pay and pay dearly, and because he was daft enough to leave his coin behind, I know _exactly_ where to find him." Jade had used the coin to scry for Balthazar's location.

"But what if he left it behind on purpose? What if it's a trap?" said Cheryl.

"Doesn't matter. He's going to pay for what he's doing with his life," said Jade. "And you're going to wait where it's safe."

Cheryl's eyes flashed. "Like heck I am! I'm going with you whether you like it or not."

"You say that as if you have a choice," said Jade. She wasn't about let Cheryl, someone with so little experience, get involved in the fight. "And anyway, I didn't say you weren't coming in the car. I said you weren't coming in with me to deal with Balthazar. Like it or not, Cher, you're still just a rookie, which means you'll get yourself killed. So, here's what you're going to do: you're going to drive me to Balthazar's hole, and then you're going to wait in the car until I get back. You good with that or am I going to have to lock you up in here?"

Cheryl looked taken aback by Jade's response but then she nodded. "I'm onboard. But how am I going to protect myself against them if they find me?"

Jade frowned. Cheryl had a point. Then it struck her. Jade then began rummaging through Jasper's stuff until she unearthed a dusty old box. When she opened it, she pulled out an amulet, which she placed on Cheryl's neck.

"Consider this a bullet-proof vest. Don't take it off—ever," said Jade. "Understand?"

Cheryl nodded.

Half an hour later, after Jade had cashed in a favor from a stooge pigeon for a black 1970s barracuda, (she'd insisted on it after pointing out that Cheryl's vehicle and Chas's taxi were too inconspicuous) they drove to Balthazar's location.

The car streaked past notable city landmarks along with a donut shop, occult bookstores, and the Chevy sign that Jade despised. Cheryl soon parked the car in front of a building with a façade of pre-stressed concrete and huge gold letters.

 **BLZ Finance and Brokerage**

"Wait in the car. I won't be long," ordered Jade, as she slammed the passenger door shut.

Without waiting for a reply, Jade went inside the building and stepped into a lobby of concrete and glass. The pretentious design screamed money, lots of it. Since trading was still half an hour away, the place was practically empty, allowing Jade full access to the elevator.

When she arrived at her intended destination, a stainless steel door across the room hissed open. Jade looked the other way as a security guarded exited. The thick door glided close and sealed with another hiss. No way in. Jade noticed the janitor down one hallway, it was Nico, one of Midnite's lackeys. His eyes locked onto Jades, and he had the decency to flinch under her piercing gaze before opening a "security only" door and leaving it wide open as he stepped inside.

Inside the trading room, monitors were powering up. A few of the young businessmen Jade had seen at Midnite's were there.

A young Turk was on the phone. "Hey, early bird is a fat bird, you know what I'm saying?"

Balthazar walked through, looking every bit like the smug and successful businessman he was. He stopped at a long mirror on one wall and adjusted his collar and his hair, making sure his look remained in place. As he continued to admire himself, his reflection distorted slightly. He touched his face and did a vowel stretch. His face distorted even further, causing him to move closer to the mirror. Balthazar became concerned, because now his skin appeared in motion, rippling as if it were liquefied. And just when he started to see the surface of the mirror blistering and started to move…

 _BOOM!_

One way glass exploded outward on the front edge of a fireball, sending Balthazar flying with glass and flame.

Jade stood on the other side in an access channel, the dragon's breath flamethrower was duct-taped to her holy shotgun.

"Hope you don't mind that I let myself in, Balthazar, but we need to talk," she said, as she stepped into the trading room. "Word is you're looking to work for the new boss. You know how much I hate missing out on the party, so why don't you do me a favor and tell me how the man of the hour's arriving."

Balthazar rose up from the floor. His suit was in shreds and half his face was burned off and he looked ticked off.

"How _dare_ you?" he hissed. "This is in direction violation of the balance!"

Jade just hit him with another blast of flame and pinned him to the wall. "Tell someone who gives a rat's rear end. In the meantime, answer my question!"

"Get her!" roared Balthazar.

Balthazar's Turks then attacked. One leapt over the trading station. Jade swung around, aimed the shotgun— _boom!_ —the half-breed was blasted mid-air. The other Turk defied gravity as he scampered across the ceiling. Instead of firing the gun, Jade pulled out an ancient knife and tossed it. It him square in the heart and there was a flash of light before Jade stepped out of the way to avoid the body smashing into the desk.

The knife she used was meant for killing demons. It wouldn't work on someone like Mammon, but for half-breeds and others similar, it was the perfect tool. Jade only used it for emergencies, because using the knife came with a price: if the demon was possessing a human and was stabbed with it, the host died along with the demon.

After Jade retrieved her knife, she turned her attention to Balthazar and didn't hesitate to hit him with a continuous tide of flame. His suit and skin quickly peeled off, revealing his true demonic form underneath it. It was hideous and horrifying beyond words to look at.

"How is he doing it, you half-breed filth?" roared Jade. She swung the flame aside so she could kick Balthazar against the wall, but her weapon spluttered, signaling that it was out of juice. "Ah, crap. Not now!"

A charcoal hand thrust out, batted away the shotgun and grabbed Jade by the throat as Balthazar rose from the ashes. He may have been burned, but he was a tough son of a bilge rat. He slid Jade up a wall by her neck and Jade couldn't break his hold.

As she choked, she frantically rummaged through her coat pockets and then plucked out the sacred gold knuckles on her right hand. As Balthazar tightened his hold, Jade swung and clocked him hard across the face. The enhanced punch sent a dizzying ripple throughout Balthazar's body, but he didn't let go. Jade kept decking him, and with each blow, Balthazar weakened.

Finally, Jade got him up against the wall. Her right arm was so tired, she slipped the gold knuckles onto her left hand and with extreme pleasure, she continued punching Balthazar until he was on the floor on the brink of death. She leaned up, winded and yet she watched in delight as Balthazar strained to take his final breath.

"I will see you soon," wheezed Balthazar.

"Not really, no," said Jade.

Balthazar scoffed. "You've cheated much and many, but you can't cheat Lucifer out of his claim on your tainted soul, Constantine. Mark my words, you _will_ go to perdition."

"True, but _you_ won't," said Jade. Instead of the knife, Jade removed a small black box from her coat and smirked at Balthazar's failed attempt to conceal the concern on his face as she unlatched the box and removed the one weapon she hardly ever used. A Bible.

"What're you doing?" asked Balthazar.

"Doing what I do best—dealing with your kind. You see, Balthazar, normally I'd just deport you to perdition, but since you were gormless enough to kill those I care about, I'm doing the world a special favor. I'm reading you your last rites," said Jade, casually as though she'd just announced she was reading him a bedtime story. But it was far from that.

Balthazar scoffed yet again. "Spare me your remedial incantations! They have no effect on my kind, Constantine!"

Jade shook her head. "You're wrong there. You see, even though you're half-human, reading your last rites, means you'll get to feel the same thing all demons do when I do this—a long, _excruciating_ death." She took out a flask of holy water and sprinkled Balthazar's forehead with it. He winced in pain as the water burned but she paid little attention to it. "You do know what it is to truly be forgiven, I assume? To be welcomed into the Kingdom of God? Demon in heaven." She sighed dramatically. "Oh, I'd _love_ to be a fly on that wall."

Fear flickered in Balthazar's eyes before it was replaced with defiance. "You're not a priest! You have no power!"

" _Au contraire_ ," said Jade, as she grabbed his throat, "I'm Lucifer's daughter! Heiress to the Laughing Magician bloodline! Demon exorcist and mistress of the dark arts! I was once the host of the Fate helmet! I've destroyed countless demons and unspeakable creatures of darkness, vanquished powerful sorcerers _including_ Felix Faust, and not only conned _gods_ but destroyed them as well and I walk in both worlds! You know anyone else who can do that? Who _has_ done that?"

Balthazar had no reply.

"You know what I'm capable of, Balthazar. So, unless you want me to do it, you'll tell me how Mammon's crossing over. Do that, and I'll free you. Simple as that." When Balthazar made no reply, she tsk-tsked. "Okay, Bal, you asked for it." She began to read from the Bible. " _In nomine Patri, et Fili, et Spiritus Sancti_ —"

Balthazar began squirming. "No…I can't!"

Not satisfied, Jade began to read louder, "May God have mercy on you, and grant you the pardon of all your sins. Whosesoever sins you remit on Earth, they are remitted unto them in Heaven. I absolve you from—"

Balthazar actually looked scared to death. "It might not even work—"

" _How—is—he—doing—it?_ " demanded Jade, as she enunciated each word. When Balthazar failed to reply yet again, Jade began full-out yelling. "Grant your child entry into Thy kingdom! In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! A—"

" _Sangre de Dio!_ " yelled Balthazar. "The blood of God."

Jade paused in her recitation, stunned. _Did I hear that right?_

"What killed the Son of God will give birth to the Son of the Devil," said Balthazar. "He who possesses it, holds the fate of the world in his hands! It's been lost for over seventy years, but he found it and he intends to use it. That's all I know. Now, let me go."

Jade slammed her Bible shut, but she wasn't done yet. "By the way, Balthazar, there's one _tiny_ little detail I forgot to mention…you have to _ask_ for absolution to be forgiven, you pompous git."

Before Balthazar had a chance to react, Jade whipped out her knife and plunged it into Balthazar's heart, killing him. She had not lied when she said she'd free him. She'd freed him of his life. He would not be deported to perdition like so many of his kind. No. Once killed with the knife, demons ceased to exist as if they never were.

Having got what she came for, Jade left the Balthazar's office without so much as a glance behind her.

XXX

Outside, Cheryl moved through the gathered crowd, looking up at the building.

When she'd heard the gunshots, her cop instincts had taken over and she'd left the car, worried for Jade's safety. As she made her way through, the amulet on her neck brushed against bodies, swinging from side to side. Cheryl suddenly stopped in the center of the street and turned.

"Something's coming," she murmured to herself.

Cheryl stared at her surroundings with an increasing sense of dread and then she heard the rumble and the sound of tires screeching. Cheryl spun around and spotted Jade's car exploding around the corner, it barreled up the street and slid to a squealing stop in front of her. The passenger door swung open.

"What happened to staying in the car?" demanded Jade.

"You were in danger," said Cheryl.

"I'm _always_ in danger! Get in!"

Sirens cracked the air, causing Cheryl to jump a foot before she got into the car and then Jade sped off, breaking several speeding laws in the process.

"Good news is, Balthazar talked with a little persuasion. Bad news is, if I don't stop Mammon's accomplice, we're all dead," said Jade. "He found what killed the Son of God."

Cheryl looked confused. "What, the nails from the cross…?"

Jade shook her head. "Jesus didn't die from being nailed to a cross." She took a sharp turn at seventy miles an hour while Cheryl stared into the bookmarked page of Jade's bible which lay open on her lap. "He was finished off by a soldier's spear." She pointed to a detailed paint of the event, Jesus hanging on the cross being pierced by a soldier's spear. It matched the child's drawing that Jade had removed earlier, which now lay on the seat. The drawing hadn't been a product of a child's imagination, it'd been a warning.

"Jade, I'm Catholic. I know the crucifixion story," said Cheryl.

"Then you know what the Spear would mean to a demon trying to cross over," said Jade. When Cheryl shook her head, Jade explained, "Mammon needs divine assistance, the only thing more powerful than my daughter's blood, is that of God's only Son."

Cheryl looked back at the painting and noticed the liquid flowing from Jesus's wound. She couldn't believe it.

"So, that's it. He's got everything he needs to escape…"

"Not quite," said Jade. She glanced at Cheryl. "You may not be of Lucifer's blood, but like me, you're an heiress of the Laughing Magicians bloodline and you're a psychic, just like Gemma. "You complete the bridge. Mammon still can't cross over, not unless he gets you."

The blood drained from Cheryl's face.

Jade glanced at the rearview mirror and something caught her notice. "Ah, crap. Hang on!" She floored it as Cheryl glanced out the back window and spotted something bounding over vehicles, hitting the pavement on all fours.

"Is that a _hellhound?_ "

Jade shook her head. "No. Don't ask what is it, you don't want to know." She recognized the mark on the beast's chest. Its owner had been Balthazar and he must've commanded it to go after them in the event of his demise, which made Jade despise him even more and wish that she'd tortured him a bit more before ending him.

A blur of black fur with dripping fangs and blood red eyes leapt over cars at incredible speed, denting in roofs, cracking a windshield and causing general chaos. Pedestrians hit the brakes of their cars, but they still slid into each other and the beast kept on coming.

Jade slid the car into an alley and raced toward the other end.

Cheryl looked back and saw their pursuer enter the alley. It made huge strides along the walls, defying all manner of physics.

"Jade, it's getting closer!" Just as she spoke, the beast went right up the wall and disappeared above the building. "Never mind. It's gone. You lost it."

Jade just grimaced. "I didn't lose it."

Cheryl screamed as something landed hard on the roof and dented it heavily. A huge clawed talon punched through the sheet metal and started shredding it. Talons broke in and Cheryl dodged it, her amulet swung wildly as she did so.

Jade hit the brakes and the beast flipped off the roof and onto the hood right into view. It lashed out against the windshield with an extra appendage. The safety glass kept it out, but just barely. It jerked back the embedded talon and pulled the entire windshield out with it, smashing it onto the hood. Glass particles exploded into the car.

Jade threw the car into a spin, slamming it into several parked cars. The beast was uprooted and thrown from the car and rolled into traffic.

"The beast's down," said Cheryl.

"It's not down. Quick! Get my phone and get Chas on the speed dial. It's in my right pocket. Password's Mum's birthday."

Cheryl quickly fished through Jade's coat pocket, speed dialed Chas and then she held the phone to Jade's ear.

" _I hope you're not calling me so I'll drop you off at a bar because you had a fight with Cheryl_ ," was Chas's response when he answered.

"Not now, Chas! Where are you?" demanded Jade.

" _Uh…Third and Figueroa…why?_ " asked Chas, warily.

"One of Balthazar's pets is going to have Cheryl and I for a snack if I don't get rid of it. But I need your help. You still got that Sedrallus?" asked Jade. If Chas didn't have it, they were in serious trouble and Jade would have to figure out something else and quick.

" _Yeah…_ "

Jade knew Chas wasn't going to like this. "Remember the Chalic of Enook incident?"

Though Chas was devoted to Jade, there were times when he complained about her methods. This was one of those times. " _Ah, no! No! You can't be serious! I just paid off this car!_ "

"I'll get you a new one! There's a git that owes me," said Jade, impatiently. "Look, Chas, if this isn't dealt with and _fast_ , Cheryl and I are _dead_ , do you hear me? _Dead!_ So, be at the west side of the Third Street Bridge in…" Jade checked the speedometer, which read ninety miles an hour. "…two minutes."

Without waiting for a reply, Jade had Cheryl hang up the phone. She headed toward the skyline at ninety miles an hour to her intended destination.

Cheryl scanned behind them and couldn't believe her eyes. "It's back! Jade, it's back and it's gaining! Hurry!"

"Of course he's gaining," muttered Jade. She punched the gas to the floor. "Cheryl, I need you to dial a number for me." If Chas did this right, they might have a shot at destroying Balthazar's pet. "Nine…five…four…"

Cheryl began punching in the numbers as Jade drove the topless car over the bridge's arched roadway. Chas's taxi was in view and then they ripped past it as Balthazar's beast came up it like a supercharged cheetah running at full stride. It wasn't even winded.

"Six…six…six…" said Jade. She tried to ignore how fast her heart was pounding.

Cheryl quickly punched in the next three digits. The beast was almost to the taxi. Jade waited and then…

"Six…"

Cheryl punched in the final digit as the beast leapt to jump the taxi and then the beeper contacted the buzz, there was a spark and then gas ignited and exploded right underneath the beast in a tremendous fireball. Initial impact only kicked it higher and that was when the Sedrallus—a highly dangerous supernatural explosive—ignited and then the real fireworks began.

The beast was caught in a haze of brilliant red particles that tore its body apart in midair. Its final shriek was chilling.

Jade smacked the wheel of the car victoriously and looked over to Cheryl in relief. But the blood drained from Jade's face as she noticed that Cheryl's neck was devoid of the protective amulet. "Cheryl, where's the amulet?"

Before Cheryl could respond— _wham!_ —something reached through the roof hole and jerked Cheryl right out of the car.

"CHERYL!"

Jade slammed on the brakes and the car spun, but Jade was already jumping out before it could come to a complete stop. She ran to the rail of the bridge and was soon joined by Chas, who looked shocked by what he'd just seen.

"What in heaven's name was _that?_ "

Both of them leapt onto the concrete rail, leaned over and spotted a huge winged shadow just as it disappeared below the bridge.

Chas was rendered speechless while Jade furiously slammed her fist into the rail. She was furious. They'd taken her sister, the only blood relation she had left and if she didn't stop them, Cheryl was going to end up dead or worse.

"What do we do now?" asked Chas. "Jade?"

"Now…" Jade took in a deep breath and then released it after a moment. "Now, we call in the cavalry and make these sons of bilge rats wish I'd never been born."

After acquiring a new car for Chas, Jade had him take to Papa Midnite's.

Despite their dislike for each other, there was no one else Jade could turn to and she knew even someone who played Switzerland like him wouldn't allow the world to be destroyed by Mammon. He could play dirty, but even Midnite had limits.

Thankfully, as soon as the situation was explained to Midnite, the voodoo priest had agreed without hesitation to lend aid. But not entirely out of the goodness of his heart, mostly it was to save his own skin. But even so, he was a bit skeptical of what he was told.

"You had better be right about this, Constantine. Mammon's been trying to get out of his father's shadow for eons," said Midnite. "I'd hate to think what he'd do to this world if he ever broke through." Lucifer may have been evil in its purest form, but the idea of Mammon ever stepping out of his father's shadow would be even worse than letting Lucifer roam free.

"I know my half-brother, Midnite. He doesn't come out of the shadows like this unless he's a hundred percent certain he can. He wouldn't be doing this if he didn't have everything at his disposal. Besides, you know what Luna said! Do you know anyone else of my blood that can pull this off?" challenged Jade. "Mammon's going to make it this time, I'm sure of it."

Midnite looked a little unconvinced. "Because he's got the Spear?"

"And the bridge. My sister and her dead daughter," said Jade. "Even if Cheryl hasn't tapped into her powers, both she and Gemma are psychic witches of the Laughing Magicians bloodline. Can you think of a better bridge than that?"

Midnite had to admit defeat at that point.

Jade broke down a storage room door and began searching through it. "You want to save me some trouble and tell me where you put the chair, Midnite?" The chair was a delicate piece of equipment used for surfing the ether.

" _The_ chair?" said Chas, in disbelief. "Jade, are you crazy?"

"You got a better idea?" challenged Jade. She didn't want to surf the ether as she was out of practice and it took a toll on the user's body, a toll she doubted she could pay in her current state of health. But she had no choice. "We're running out of time and options, in case you've forgotten!"

"I know, but you _know_ what that device can do to the ill-equipped and using it right now could kill you, Jade!" protested Chas.

"I must agree," said Midnite, in disapproval. "It's a fine line that separates a hero from a fool, Constantine. And I've no desire to taint my establishment with your blood."

"Don't play games with me, mate," growled Jade. She wasn't in the mood for Midnite's rubbish. "My sister's life is on the line here! If anyone knows what that feels like—!"

"I don't have it!" interrupted Midnite.

Both Chas and Jade stared at Midnite in stunned disbelief.

"What do you mean you don't have it?" demanded Jade. How could Midnite, Mr. Name-It-and-Claim-It, not have the chair? "Where the bloody heck is it?"

"It was destroyed," said Midnite. He looked severely unhappy. "Balthazar didn't take kindly to being threatened. One of his men slipped in and destroyed it."

"That's what you get for trusting him in the first place, mate," said Jade, coldly. She ignored the heated glare Midnite gave her. "Without the chair, I'll have to use something else."

"Like what, a Scrying Spell?" asked Chas.

Jade shook her head. "No. Mammon will have blocked it. But there's one thing he _can't_ block. There's one thing I can do to find him." Or rather, she'd have to turn to some _one_ else, provided he actually responded to her summons. Jade turned her gaze to the open skylight. "MANNY! Unless you like your wings extra crispy, you'll get your feathered butt down here, _NOW!_ "

Jade counted approximately thirty seconds before there was the sound of fluttering wings and then said wings appeared in the room. When they folded up again, Manny was standing in the room, his expression a mixture of concern and disapproval.

"You could've just asked nicely," he said.

"Yeah, no time," said Jade, briskly. "Tell me you've been filled in about Mammon."

Manny nodded. "The news hit an hour ago. _Everyone_ knows."

"And as usual, they're doing nothing. Perfect. Well, we're going to change that, for you at least. If we're going to find Mammon, then I need your help," said Jade. She held out her hands. "You know what to do."

Manny's eyes widened and he hesitated. "Is there really no other way?"

"None," said Jade. All magic came with a price and what Jade was asking Manny to help her do took a toll on the human body. If she was healthier, she'd get away with maybe a headache and tiredness, but in her condition, she'd be lucky if it didn't kill her. But there was no choice. "I just need enough rope to find my sister, that's all."

"And if you do, what then?" challenged Midnite. "Do you actually _have_ a plan?"

"One bloody problem at a time, mate," said Jade. "C'mon, Manny. We're wasting time."

Manny swallowed painfully and then tightly grasped Jade's hands.

Jade closed her eyes and inhaled sharply as the magic took effect.

When an angel of heaven combined his all-seeing eye with Jade, the entire universe was open to them. Nothing and no one could be hidden. Sooner or later, Jade would find it. The problem was, it had a side-effect beyond that of the health toll. It was easy for Jade to lose herself in what she was seeing and without someone to guide her, she ran the risk of being lost forever.

When Jade opened her eyes again, she found herself watching Cheryl from a vantage point in the city. Cheryl was moving in a surreal fashion across an evening sky. Below her, the city swept past, but when Cheryl's eyes drifted open, they widened in horror as she saw beyond reality. The city was on fire, just as it had been foretold in Gemma's vision before she jumped.

" _Listen to my voice inside_ …" whispered Manny. Though she could not see him, his voice was all around her. " _I'll guide you, but you've got to listen to me, Jade. If you don't…_ "

"I know," murmured Jade.

" _Mammon was forced out of Gemma when she jumped. So unless he found a holding vessel to wait in, he would've found a way back to perdition,_ " said Manny.

"He's still here. I'm sure of it. I can feel it." Jade had had the feeling that something was off for days, but just assumed it was due to her cancer or the Rising Darkness. Now she knew better. All along, she'd been sensing Mammon's presence and hadn't known it.

" _Then watch yourself. Just because he can't block you, doesn't mean he won't be able to see you. He could be in anyone out there,_ " said Manny.

"I will," said Jade. She took a deep breath and then focused.

Jade then reacted as though she'd been hit by a blast of wind. Her head slammed back and her skin rippled from the force as power coursed through her. A flash turned into a streak behind Jade's face, stretching into infinity.

" _Find the possessor and the Spear will be revealed…find them…find them and follow…_ "

The flash whipped back and suddenly, Jade was watching a stranger from Istanbul get into a crappy minivan and then drive off. Tightly clenched in his hand was the Spear. As he came upon a red light, he turned and looked behind him where Jade sat, watching. Jade centered on the Spear in the stranger's hand as the stranger turned his head away. The stranger drove until he came up the large iron entrance gate of Ravenscar Psychiatric. Quickly, he got out of the van and ran the abandoned wing, causing Jade to mentally curse herself for missing such an obvious clue.

Jade followed the stranger to the sleep room. There were fifty beds with fifty patients inside, all asleep. The stranger knelt down to one of beds and left the Spear on it before running off and disappearing. Jade didn't follow him as she could see he was just a civilian who didn't know what he was getting himself into. Instead, she walked over to the bed where the Spear had been placed and touched the sleeping patient's body, which rolled onto the floor—dead.

Jade was horrified to see that it was Barry, the boy she'd become attached to, but pushed it aside as she knelt down to touch him. But before she could, Barry suddenly sat up and grabbed her by the throat. His eyes were pitch-black and so were his fingernails—Mammon was possessing him and not only that, but he could see Jade and was attempting to end her once and for all.

Jade grabbed at his hands and struggled to pull him off, but Mammon's grip was locked tight. Realizing she had no other choice if she wanted to survive, Jade summoned the power within her from Lucifer. Her blue eyes glowed bright with perditionfire, which manifested in her hands and burnt Mammon's, causing him to recoil before he healed himself. He shot Jade an intense glare which she returned.

"So, we meet again, Constantine," said Mammon. His voice was not that of a child's, like one would expect from a possession, instead it was deep, distorted and purely demonic. "Only this time, I'm the one holding all the cards and this time, you won't beat me, little sister."

Jade had met Mammon once before when she'd explored perdition looking for answers for a case. During which, she'd run into Mammon, who decided to try and kill her. Mammon hated Jade for stealing his spotlight as the Fallen One's heir and for having the freedom he'd always been denied. He believed that if he killed her, not only would he be doing perdition a favor but he would also prove himself worthy in his father's eyes. But he achieved just the opposite when Jade defeated him by outfoxing him and he swore revenge for it.

"Don't be so sure, you piece of filth," spat Jade. "You're not going to win, not now, not ever. Even if I don't beat you, there're others who will, and let's not forget what Lucifer will do to do when he finds out what you're doing."

Mammon just laughed. "Father's time is long past. He's a relic from a time long forgotten by the humans! He knows about the Rising Darkness, but he doesn't know _I'm_ behind it. He thinks it's just a lower-class demon who's gotten too big for his britches. He doesn't care because he thinks it'll never succeed, but he's wrong! And anyway, by the time he finds out otherwise, your world will be the new perdition, I'll be king and all will bow before me!"

"Over my dead body!" growled Jade.

Mammon grinned a sickening grin. "That's easily done. I can take care of that, just like my men took care of your filthy daughter."

He tried to attack her yet again, but Jade was too fast. She blasted Mammon with fire again and then called out to her guide.

"Manny!" she yelled.

Jade was yanked away and then she inhaled sharply and launched into another coughing fit. She was on the floor of Midnite's office, still being held tight in Manny's arms as all three men looked at her with concern—well, not so much concern on Midnite's face.

"You okay, Jade?" asked Chas.

"For a moment, we thought we'd lost you," said Manny.

"I'm fine. It's nothing a smoke or a shot of gin won't fix. But we don't have time for that. I know where Mammon is. He's in Ravenscar's abandoned wing. He's possessing Barry," said Jade, briskly. "We need to move, now."

Jade's words, however few, were enough to convince them of the gravity of the situation and they all began working to prepare for the confrontation.

While Manny went to scout out Ravenscar, Midnite piled assault rifles, shotguns, glocks and much more onto a table.

"You know these won't kill them," he said. "You probably won't even get close to use them. You better worry about whoever is helping him."

Jade didn't reply as she adjusted the flames of a butane heater under a pan. In the pain is a religious relic she brought back from India. As soon as the gold melted, she poured into several small casting blocks, which Chas dipped into a pot of water, causing a loud hissing sound.

"As much as I admire your blind faith even in the most dire situations, expecting to just waltz into a facility that's about to become the floodgate of perdition is reaching a bit, even for you," said Midnite.

Jade stopped working and centered her gaze onto Midnite. "I know. Why do you think I sent Manny out? He's going to see what's there and soon as he gets back, I'll know what to expect."

Chas frowned. " _You?_ "

"Yes, me!" said Jade, in annoyance. "What, don't you trust me to save the world?" She hadn't asked Midnite to participate because she knew he'd refuse, not because he wanted to see the world end, but because if they failed, Midnite would be one of the last lines of defense and regardless, he'd want to spend time with his sister—something Jade couldn't fault him for. And Jade hadn't asked Chas for help, because she had no desire to put him the line of Mammon's perditionfire.

"No, but if you think I'm letting go alone, you're out of your mind," said Chas, stubbornly. "I'm going with you and that's final."

Before Jade could protest, Manny returned, his face grim.

"It's no good. I can't get close," said Manny. "The entire facility's blocked against me."

"You specifically or angels in general?" asked Jade.

A stupid question it might've seemed like, but it made a world of difference to Jade.

"Me, specifically," said Manny. Clearly Mammon knew who Jade would rely on for heavenly help. "And there's more. I went to see Gabriel to try and convince him for help. He's gone."

Jade's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, he's gone?"

"As in he's vanished. He's not in heaven and I can't find him on Earth." Manny looked worried. "I think Mammon might've gotten to him."

"Great. Just perfect," said Jade. She knew Gabriel probably would've refused to help, but the thought of knowing that someone that powerful who _could've_ helped was nowhere to be found, didn't make the odds any better and nor did it ease Jade's feelings of unease.

"Now what choice do you have?" said Chas. "I'm your only backup now."

"I'm aware of that, but you should be spending time with your wife and daughter," said Jade. "If this goes south, mate…"

Chas sighed. "I know. But I also know if that you fail, we're dead anyway, and I couldn't live with myself if I wasn't there for you. So, I'm coming whether you like it or not."

In spite of the situation, Jade couldn't help but smile and hold Chas in a tight embrace. "Thanks, mate. I don't know what I'd do without you." She didn't deserve Chas's loyalty and friendship, but nevertheless, she was grateful for it.

Chas's only response was to tighten his hold on Jade.

"Well, I suppose two fools can die just as easily as one," said Midnite, making Jade glare at him and crack the tiniest smile. "But you're going to need more than a few magic bullets to get inside. Have you any ideas?"

As Jade pulled away from Chas, she noticed Midnite's many ten-gallon water containers. "Yeah, I do. Have you ever performed the holy water ritual on more than a single bottle?"

Twenty minutes later, Jade's car pulled up in front of Ravenscar.

While they waited for the hospital staff to depart from the emergency entrance, Jade beckoned to the water tank on the roof. Chas nodded, he knew the plan and he was prepared to enact it. As soon as the coast was clear, Jade switched off the car and then they went their separate ways.

The front glass doors of Ravenscar's abandoned wing swung open as Jade strutted inside. She could hear the murmurs of an unseen crowd and could tell it was packed with people, all either half-demons or poor sods possessed by demons. There was quite a variety—lawyers, brokers, soccer moms, truck drivers and much more. They were there for Mammon's arrival. Most of them were crowded by the door, but all of them fell dead silent as their black eyes locked onto Jade.

Jade stepped forward and raised her hands like a riot cop. "Hi, my name's Jade Constantine. You're all in violation of the balance. Leave immediately or I will deport you." No one reacted as she leapt onto a desk. "You only get one chance. This is it."

"Such a diva. Must you always hog the spotlight, Jade?"

Jade's heart a skipped a beat as Ellie, who was clearly not dead, stepped forward.

"Ells?" she gasped. "But that's impossible. You…you died!"

"A necessary deception," said Ellie. "Balthazar did come for me. But he never hurt me, just some idiot human girl who stole one of my boyfriends from me. Balthazar told me it was time to fake my death and I agreed, but I never liked him so I swiped his coin. Figured either you'd break from losing both Gary and me and give up, or you and Balthazar would end up killing each other. A twofer, really." She scoffed at the look on Jade's face. "Oh, come on, Jade. You know how much I love it here and I miss perdition. Working with Mammon was just a priceless opportunity to give me a shot at both worlds."

"So, everything was a lie," said Jade. Her voice was cold, devoid of emotion, which should've frightened Ellie. "Your story of falling in love with an angel and getting kicked out perdition, our friendship, and your defection to my side…all of it was just one bloody lie after another?"

Ellie's eyes narrowed. "Not all of it was a lie. I did love an angel and I was hurt when I came here. The pain was real. But yes, the rest of it was a lie. I told you my lover was killed for falling for me, but actually, I killed him myself to keep him from telling you what I was up to when he found out. You see, Mammon sought me out in perdition. He knew you'd never be able to resist getting close to me, especially when I told you of our shared taste in winged men. My job was to keep you off Mammon's trail, break you if necessary and I almost succeeded. But it doesn't matter. Soon, he'll arrive fully and when he rules as king, I'll be his queen."

Jade scoffed. "You're even dafter than I thought, Ells. Mammon doesn't give a crap about anyone but himself! He'll just turn this place into his own version of perdition and leave you to rot. Then where will you party? Heaven?"

Ellie shook her head in denial. "You're wrong! He loves me! And don't get so nasty."

"Too late for that," said Jade.

"You know, it doesn't have to end badly for you, Jade. You can still come out a winner, but only if you take your place as your old man's heiress," said Ellie. "You'll be with Astra again and you'll never be alone. So, what you say?"

"What do I say?" Jade pulled out her lighter. "I say…I might've spared you if you'd just been upfront with me in the beginning. But now…" She flicked on her lighter. "Now you can join your friends. Go to perdition." She thrust it up at the sprinkler head.

The fire alarm went off in the entire building and water sprayed out of the sprinkler heads. Painful shrieks filled the room as the demons began to fry.

"Holy water!" shrieked Ellie.

The emergency lighting snapped on, throwing the room into a nightmare of action. Flashes of human skin melted, revealing snippet of the true demons underneath it all. It was a complete pandemonium as their rage was directed towards Jade, who flung her trench coat open and drew her weapons. She fired away at the attacking hoard and the sacred bullets did major damage. She shot at all manner of distorted forms that ventured into column of spray she was under.

When she finally ran out of ammo, she ran for the double doors. She'd just gotten them open when Ellie jumped onto Jade's back and her fingernails dug into Jade's back.

"You will not stop him!" she screeched. "I won't be treated like this!"

"We are who we are, Ellie." Jade grabbed Ellie's hand and tossed her over before shoving her face into the spray of the holy water. She kept a firm grip on Ellie until she ceased thrashing about and then she released Ellie. Jade then left and locked the doors. No demon was escaping tonight, she would make sure of it.

When the holy rain and the screaming ceased, Jade was joined by Chas, and they made their way through the wing.

Only the sound of their footsteps on the tile broke the stark silence. There was another set of doors ahead of them. Before they reach it, a faint shadow crossed in the mist. They both paused, expecting something to reveal itself, but it didn't. The hairs on the back of Jade's neck stood up when she heard a low drone rising in pitch and then her blood ran cold when the sound of Cheryl's scream hit her ears.

"Cheryl!"

Jade and Chas burst into the room and spotted Barry standing in the hydrotherapy tank with his hands in the water. Cheryl was strapped in, completely submerged.

"Barry!" yelled Chas.

Barry looked up and saw Jade and Chas running towards him with their guns aimed.

"Let her up!" demanded Jade. " _LET HER UP!_ "

Jade expected to be threatening Mammon, but when Barry's eyes met hers, they were human and there wasn't even a hint of black on his fingernails. Jade realized she was talking to Barry, the child, which meant Mammon was no longer possessing his body.

"Barry? Oh, crap…" She stowed away her gun and took Barry out of the water. He was shaking and tears were pooling in his eyes. "Don't be scared. It's okay." It was a complete and utter lie. "Listen, everything's going to be okay, but you need to leave here. Now. You understand?"

Barry nodded and ran, but didn't get far before tripping onto the floor and becoming paralyzed with fear and then he passed out.

"Jade!" cried Chas.

Jade turned behind her and saw that the water was rippling off and the straps on Cheryl's wrists were dangling free.

"Ah, crap." Jade thought face and glanced around, hoping for a quick fix. But every mirror in the room had been shattered. She jumped into the water with Chery, grabbed her face and pushed her against the tank walls. " _Amar natash bow basar!_ Rescind from the flesh, I command thee!" If she did this fast enough, she could get rid of Mammon before he fully crossed over.

Cheryl's eyes snapped open, dark and dilated. Jade clamped a hand over her mouth, cutting off her sister's air supply.

"Back to perdition, you pompous son of a bilge rat!" she hissed.

Cheryl's body undulated as Mammon's shape tried to come through, pulsating through Cheryl's arms, chest and her face. Cheryl bit into Jade's palm. Jade recoiled and Cheryl shoved Jade off, causing Jade to hit the tile hard. Cheryl jumped from the tank and pushed past in a blur. Jade spun around to see Cheryl in Chas's tight grip.

"I've got her! Finish it!" said Chas.

Jade coughed and struggled to stand. She tried to cover it, but it was clear her end was nearing and her strength was all but finished. Chas positioned Cheryl to face her, bracing her arms from her sides, crucifixion-style. Despite Mammon's struggles, he couldn't break free. Jade placed a hand on Cheryl's forehead.

" _Et seperatur a plasmate tuo, Ut num quam laedatur amorsu antique serpents_ ," said Jade. "Rescind from the flesh, I command thee! _Amar natash bow basar!_ "

Cheryl's body stopped fighting. The darkness in her eyes and fingernails began to fade. It was working. But then Chas was suddenly jerked backwards with an agonizing yell. Cheryl was dropped and slipped in unconsciousness. Jade could only watch in horror as Chas's two hundred and fifty pound frame was lifted into the ceiling and then twisted and thrown with incredible force against the floor.

Chas lifted his head and tried to speak but the words wouldn't come and then he passed out. He was not dead, for Jade had once cast a spell on him that enabled him to die forty-eight times and be resurrected each time. This was just one of those many times.

But nevertheless, it enraged Jade to see her longest-surviving and most loyal friend—her brother in all but blood—harmed. She scanned the empty room and saw a large shadow on the ceiling that didn't belong to any object. She held back a cough long enough to rip up her sleeves and slam the tattoos together.

"Into the light, I command thee! Into the light, I command thee!" It took every ounce of Jade's life force to keep the spell alive and when she was about to drop from exhaustion, the shadow was fully brought into the light and became the familiar shape of wings.

"Your ego continues to astound me, Constantine…" rumbled a voice.

"Of course. It had to be you," spat Jade. She knew the voice. How could she not? She wasn't surprised, as it made sense when she thought about it. But it didn't lessen the sting of betrayal. "The only one it could've been. The only one who I trusted and had not only the will to betray me, but also the power and the guts to bend down to a pathetic worm like Mammon! It was always going to be you, wasn't it… _Gabriel?_ "

Gabriel touched down in front of her. He was dressed in his holy robes, his wings were out and the Spear was in his hand.

"And the wicked shall inherit the Earth," said Jade.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "You presume to judge me, Jade?"

"Betrayal, murder, genocide…call me provincial. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Manny was right. We would've kept Astra safe, led normal lives and raised her. But you…you made me believe Astra had to be given up, you took the protection spells off and exposed her to Mammon's goons and messed up the spell that would've saved her!" said Jade. She was shaking from the rage she felt. "You _betrayed_ me and destroyed an innocent child's life by condemning her to perdition! Why, Gabriel?"

"Because Astra's an abomination that should never have existed and it was the best way to get rid of you without getting caught," hissed Gabriel. "You may not be allowed into heaven, but He declared no angel was to touch you. I couldn't kill you directly, not without risking losing my wings. So, I turned to alternative methods. After all, what choice did I have? No one else but the great Jade Constantine posed such a threat to our plans. It should've worked. But you're like a cockroach, you don't know when to give up and die."

"You self-righteous, heartless, soulless _traitor!_ " cried Jade, furiously.

"I'm betraying _no one_ ," hissed Gabriel, as his grip on the Spear tightened. "I'm seeking to inspire humankind to be all that was intended."

"By unleashing my psychotic half-brother and creating a new perdition on earth?" said Jade, incredulously. "Great thinking, you daft git!"

Gabriel's wings folded behind him as he walked around Jade. "You've had it easy for too long. You're handed this precious gift, each one of you granted redemption from the Creator—murderers, rapists, and molesters—all of you, you just have to repent and God takes you into His bosom. In all the wonders of the universe, no other creature can make such a boast, save man. It's not fair."

"And that just bugs the crap out of you, doesn't it?" said Jade. She slid her hand into her pocket for her angel sword, careful not to let Gabriel see it. "After all, what's a few thousand years of pain and ignorance compared to what you think we can have?"

"Precisely," said Gabriel. His golden eyes narrowed in anger. "You never deserved to be blessed. You've all been born with a silver spoon in your mouth, never really appreciating the gift you were given so freely: unconditional love from your Creator. If sweet, sweet God loves you, then I will make you worth of His love. As I said, I've been watching mankind from the beginning and it's only in the face of horror that you truly find your nobler selves and you can be _so_ noble. So, I'll bring you pain and horror that you may rise above it; so that those of you who survive this reign of perdition on earth will be worthy of God's love."

In all her years, Jade had never heard a stupider or crazier plan. "Gabriel, you're insane! Once you unleash Mammon, he'll kill us all, including you!"

Gabriel just smiled. "You cannot see, for you're blind, Constantine. Like the animals you and the rest of humans are, you never learn unless sufficiently prodded. Pleasure has no lasting effect. But subject you to pain, unpleasantness and suffering and you will fight to overcome, to earn your redemption. That's when you're at your best."

"I won't let you do this!"

Jade grabbed her angel sword and tried to plunge it into Gabriel's back, but the archangel was faster. He thrust out his hand and Jade went flying through the door.

"The road to salvation begins tonight!" said Gabriel. He approached Cheryl, whose nails were starting to blacken once again.

Jade stared at the rogue angel, at the Spear in his hands. She made a break for it, but Gabriel's wings beat once and the gust sent Jade through the double doors back into the corridor, where she smashed against a mesh-screened window and dropped to the floor in a heap with the ashes of the demons she'd vanquished.

Gabriel turned to Cheryl. His rippling wings were sliding up around her, enveloping her. His eyes could melt even Dracula.

Jade knew she had to stop him, but she couldn't even stand, let alone save her sister or humanity. It would be so easy to give, to roll over and die. But instead, she tried something that she hadn't done in years. She prayed.

"I know I'm not one of your favorites," she whispered. "I'm not even allowed in your house these days, but I could use a little attention."

When nothing happened, Jade's body crumpled, her cheek landed flat against the tile. The glistening shards of mirror glass lay around her, catching her attention. As Jade stared at her reflection in one, she got an idea—a completely psychotic idea, but the only one that had a chance of working at that point. In the other room, Mammon was starting to get through and Gabriel was about to finish the job.

Jade slid her back up the wall as she reeled in a shard of the mirror. She pulled up her sleeves, paused for the briefest of moments, closed her eyes and then sliced both her wrists. With both wrists purging her life away, Jade settled back into the corner and waited for the inevitable. Just as her strength began to fail her completely, the light bulbs flickered as time came to a complete stop and a metallic drone reverberated through the air. Something started to swirl near Jade and just like that, she was no longer alone, a shadow fell over her form.

Jade felt some of her strength return to her as the sound of footsteps grew closer and then for the first time since her first trip to perdition, Jade laid eyes on the only one capable of stopping Gabriel, the man—if you could call him that—who'd created her and ruled over perdition.

"Hi, Dad," said Jade. "Nice to see you."

Lucifer stood before Jade, in the form of a man dressed in a crisp white Armani suit with slicked back hair and pitch black eyes.

"Perditiono, Jade, dear," said Lucifer. "The time's come at last for you to come home, for me to collect your soul."

"I know. I just didn't think you'd be here so early," said Jade. She'd killed herself, true, but Jade's soul hadn't actually left her pathetic husk of a body yet.

"You're the one show I wouldn't miss. What kind of father would I be to miss my child's own homecoming? However…" Lucifer glanced at her slit wrists. "I have to admit, I didn't think you'd be quite so eager to join me. But it hardly matters."

"So, you're not the least bit interested as to why I did this after fighting you for long?" said Jade, quickly. She knew Lucifer couldn't resist the baiting. "Don't you want to know why I finally decided to stop fighting the inevitable and let you take me away?"

Lucifer paused for a moment then looked interested. "Why?"

"With all your talk about blood-kin, I thought that you might want to know about your first-born, Mammon," said Jade.

Lucifer's eyes narrowed. "Since when do you care about your elder brother?"

" _Half_ -brother," corrected Jade. She would never claim full kinship with that filth. Never. "And normally, I wouldn't give a rat's rear end about that spoiled brat, except right now he's topside and in the other room."

Lucifer snorted. "Why would I care about that? He's still very young and impulsive. He has no real power here. Why does it matter where he goes?"

"Because he's not alone. He's with Gabriel, the archangel," said Jade. "He's the one who set my daughter up to be killed."

"And?" said Lucifer, sounding bored.

"And the traitor with wings is helping my dear, dear half-brother overthrow you by creating a new perdition on Earth," said Jade, impatiently. It was really irritating to see just how stupid her father was being. Then again, she shouldn't have been surprised, given his history. "Oh, and did I mention that not only are they the ones heralding the Rising Darkness, but that they've also got the Spear of Destiny?"

Jade smirked at the look on Lucifer's face as that bombsperdition of information sank in. He looked concerned and then his expression was unreadable as he studied Jade.

"This is another of your cons," said Lucifer.

Jade gave him a look. "Really? Then why don't you go take a look? Prove it's just a con."

Lucifer said nothing; he just looked at her suspiciously.

"You've waited more than thirty years for me, _Father_ ," reminded Jade. "What's another thirty seconds? Besides, it won't hurt anything. I can't exactly go anywhere, now can I?"

Lucifer was silent as he contemplated this and then he made his decision. Time resumed its normal pace as he tore down the wall separating them and the others. While Chas lay on the floor, unconscious, Gabriel was about to plunge the spear into Cheryl's chest.

"And just _what_ do you think you're doing, Gabriel?" said Lucifer.

Startled, Gabriel looked up and froze when he saw Lucifer. Realizing the jig was up, Gabriel pulled the Spear toward Cheryl with all his might, but Lucifer was faster. Cheryl vanished and Gabriel pierced dead air. Lucifer held Cheryl tight, covering her mouth like Jade did. She struggled against the demon inside her as it appeared, reflected in the huge chunks of tank glass scattered across the floor. It was hideous and scary beyond words, it was the real Mammon.

Lucifer looked furious, not the kind of angry that left one yelling and breaking things, but the scary calm type of furious that made you cringe and want to hide away.

"This world…however much I dislike it, is mine as everyone knows," said Lucifer. "And _no one_ , not a traitorous archangel or even my own _son_ , will change that. You've both forgotten your places in the natural order, and I think it's time I reminded you of that."

Lucifer's black eyes lit up like bright golden fire and then Mammon screamed as he was expelled from Cheryl's body and then destroyed. Cheryl was then placed back next to Chas, but she was now unconscious.

A flicker of fear crossed Gabriel's face before it was replaced with righteous fury. "Son of Perdition! Little Horn! Most unclean!"

Lucifer clicked his tongue and looked wistful. "Ah, I do miss those names from the old days…"

"I may not be able to fulfill the plans for my Father, but I shall smite thee in His name!" Gabriel leapt up into the air to deliver the blow, but only to find himself frozen in mid-air and it wasn't by Lucifer's hand.

For a moment, Gabriel didn't understand what was happening, but then it settled on him and he looked horrified as Lucifer smirked.

"Looks like somebody doesn't have your back anymore," said Lucifer.

What happened next caused a major jolt that shook the entire building to its foundation. Lucifer grabbed Gabriel's wrists, forcing the archangel to drop the Spear and then he was tossed down into the rest of the rubbish as his wings lit on fire. When the smoke clear and the ash and soot began to fade away, Jade could see Gabriel, lying in a heap on the floor, out cold.

 _Serves you right, you filthy traitor,_ thought Jade.

It then dawned on her that good had won. Mammon was destroyed and Gabriel's plans had been stopped. The threat of the Rising Darkness was over. But it changed nothing for Jade's fate. She was still condemned and Lucifer was still taking her away.

Lucifer clapped his hands and then faced Jade.

"Well, it seems I owe you, dear daughter," said Lucifer. "I always repay my debts, so what would you like in return for this great service? A longer life, perhaps?" _Please, say no_ , was implied but went unspoken.

Jade shook her head. As much as she wanted to live, there was something else she wanted far more. "I want Gemma and Astra's freedom. Let them go to heaven as they deserve."

Lucifer raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "You're willing to sacrifice your life so the child you gave up and the niece you failed to protect can go to heaven?"

Jade resisted the urge to wince at Lucifer's stinging words as she nodded. "They don't belong in perdition and you know it. Please, let them go." At this point, she was more than happy to spend the rest of eternity in perdition as long as her daughter and niece didn't have to. "You said you'd repay me, and you're a man of your word. I want Gemma and Astra's freedom. So, do we have a deal or not, old man?"

Lucifer looked annoyed as he sighed. "Fine. It's a deal. And because I'm in a generous mood, you can have five minutes to say your good-byes."

He snapped his fingers and then Astra and Gemma appeared. They looked confused as to where they were and why but showed no other signs of harm. Gemma actually seemed like the person she was before her time in Ravenscar. Astra looked around and when she saw Jade, her face lit up.

"Mama!"

Jade wasted no time in wrapping her arms around her daughter and holding Astra tight against her chest. She ran her fingers through Astra's hair as tears slid down her cheeks and smiled when she felt Astra return the embrace. In that moment, Jade knew Astra still loved her but Jade still needed to ask for her daughter's forgiveness.

"Astra. My darling girl. I've missed you so much…" she whispered. All of her dreams of this moment had not prepared her for this. "I'm so, so sorry. You will never know how sorry I am. I never should've given up you up and I never should've hidden the truth from you. I should've done more to protect you. Forgive me."

"It's okay, Mom. You were doing what you thought was best for me," said Astra. "You and Dad…you just wanted me to be happy. You still came for me like you promised and you're here now. That's all that really matters, right?"

Jade smiled a little. "Such a wise little girl…" she murmured. She then felt concerned. "Tell me honestly now, did anyone hurt you while you were gone?" While Jade doubted Lucifer would've allowed a hair on his grandchild's head to be harm, she still needed to know, because if so much as a hair on Astra's head had been hurt, Jade would ensure a far worse punishment than even Lucifer could conceive for the guilty party.

"Some tried, but none succeeded. I was scared, but I beat them back just like you do and then Gemma came and protected me," said Astra. She pulled away and held Jade's hands in hers. "Can we go home now?"

Jade sighed. "Yes, you can. But I can't, not yet." When Astra opened her mouth to protest, Jade placed a finger on her lips to silence her. "Astra, darling, listen to me very carefully. I don't know if you know, but your dad's an angel. His name's Manny. Gemma's going to take you to heaven where he's waiting for you and they're going to look after you. You'll be safe and no one will ever hurt you or scare you again. But I can't go there, not yet. You have to go without me."

Tears pooled in Astra's eyes. "No! I want to stay with you!"

"I know, but you can't, luv," said Jade, gently. She cupped Astra's face in her hands and wiped away her tears with the pads of her thumbs. "You've got a job to do. You've got to wait for me until I can be with you again. Can you do that for me?" When Astra sadly nodded, Jade smiled and hugged her daughter once more. "We'll be a family again someday, I promise. Until then, remember that I love you so much."

"I love you too, Mama," said Astra, sounding slightly muffled through Jade's shirt.

"Time's almost up," said Lucifer.

Jade broke apart from Astra and looked at Gemma. "Sorry, I couldn't protect you, Gemstone." Gemstone had been Jade's nickname for Gemma, but it hardly mattered. Jade felt guilt for Gemma's death. If Jade had known Gemma was her niece, if she'd known that the dark forces were after Gemma, she would've protected her better. Heck, regardless, she should've done more anyway, but she'd been too caught up in her own pain to truly see Gemma's. "Forgive me."

"It's okay, Aunt Jade. It was never your fault. Even if you had known, there wasn't anything you could've done. Beside, everything happens for a reason," said Gemma. She looked at Jade with gratitude and love. "Thank you for saving me. I'll look after Astra, I promise. Just do me one favor, okay? Tell my mom I love her and everything's forgiven. Be safe, Auntie."

Jade nodded and then there was a bright, blinding white light as Gemma and Astra ascended into heaven where they would remain forever.

 _I will keep my word, my darling,_ vowed Jade. _I will see you again._ One way or another, she would do everything in her power to see Astra again and not let what she'd said about being reunited someday be a lie.

"Time to go," said Lucifer.

Though she had no desire to do so, Jade knew this was one battle she could not win, so she surrendered. She relaxed and ceased fighting the inevitable. She held out her hand for Lucifer to take, but when he did so, he suddenly found himself pulling on what seemed to be infinite mass. Try as he might, he couldn't budge Jade an inch.

Jade was at a loss to explain what was happening, for it was not her doing.

Suddenly, Jade's other hand left her side and as if it was weightless, it began to rise toward something above. Then Jade understood. She was in the embrace of God. By performing an act of pure, selfless love, Jade had unwittingly redeemed herself and was now free to ascend to heaven with her niece and daughter.

Naturally, Lucifer was furious. He recoiled in pure rage and began raving like a lunatic. "NO! THIS SACRIFICE BELONGS TO _ME!_ "

"Sorry, old man," whispered Jade. She couldn't help but grin at the fact that she'd, albeit unwittingly so, conned the devil himself. "Checkmate."

That was the last straw for Lucifer. He went rabid and turned to pure energy for a split second. His hands remained on fire. "You will live, Jade Constantine. You will live so you'll have the chance to prove that your soul truly belongs in perdition, in your father's place! You will live!" And with that, Lucifer eagerly plunged his blazing hands into Jade's body.

Jade screamed in agony as Lucifer ridded her body of her disease, healing her. Jade's final blood-curdling scream echoed over through every room, every corridor. Rippling out across the ground and finally dissipating in the hills beyond. Then, just as suddenly, it stopped. Lucifer was gone, the pain was gone and Jade was alone with the others.

Jade sat on her hands and knees, as she slowly took her first breath as a redeemed human. Her lungs were completely healed. There was no pain, no cough or even a wheeze. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror shards. The color had returned to her face and if that wasn't enough, her wrists were healed and bore no trace whatsoever of any damage. She was a whole new person.

Jade shakily rose to her feet as she walked over to Barry, Cheryl and Chas, who began to stir from their places on the floor. Barry seemed fine, thank heavens. But just to be sure, Jade muttered a spell that modified his memory and sent him into a peaceful sleep. Children should never be exposed to the horrors of Jade's world.

"Chas, Cheryl, you two all right?"

"Yeah, but my head's killing me," groaned Chas. "What happened?"

"It's a long story, mate," said Jade. "Short version? We won. The Rising Darkness is over. Lucifer came to collect me, ended up saving the day and I'm no longer bound for his place since I had him send Gemma and Astra to heaven. Oh, and my cancer's gone."

Cheryl's eyes lit up in hopeful disbelief. "Gemma's safe?"

Jade nodded. "Gemma's safe, Cheryl. She's safe and she gave me a message. She loves you and all's forgiven."

Cheryl's eyes said more than words ever could.

"And so is Astra," said Chas, sighing in relief. "Good job, Jade."

"Yeah." Jade was quiet and her throat became tight as it settled on her that it was truly over. Her baby was safe, and the Rising Darkness threat was no longer in existence. She'd won. But the victory was not without cost. Cheryl was now fully part of Jade's world and could never escape it; Gary was still gone, Ellie had betrayed her and once again, Jade was separated from her child. Jade stood immobilized, wrecked with emotion and then a certain sound drew her attention to the one thing that caused her greater rage.

Gabriel was hunched over near a wall. Jagged cartilage stumps protruded from his back. A pattern of sinew and bone was burned onto the floor behind him. It was all that remained of the archangel's once majestic wings.

Jade approached him and noticed the blood dripping from the former archangel's back and realized what this meant.

"You're human…" she whispered, as a smug smile crossed her face. The self-righteous traitor was human, a common weak and flawed mortal just like the rest of them.

"Satisfied?" spat Gabriel, angrily. "I'm just like you now. I'm not an angel, I'm _human_. I have to live like you pathetic little mud monkeys now thanks to you!"

It was the wrong thing to say. Jade's smugness and amusement at Gabriel's fate was replaced with hatred and the pains of betrayal and grief. Gabriel was still alive and innocent people like Gary, Gemma and Astra were dead. Such a thing could not and _would not_ be tolerated.

Gabriel looked up as Jade retrieved her angel sword from the wet floor and pocketed it before retrieving her gun.

"You don't deserve to be human," hissed Jade. "You don't deserve to have a _life_ , even a mortal one! Despite our grievances, you were my _friend_. I _trusted_ you! And in return, you destroyed my life and betrayed me by destroying the lives who meant everything to me! Worse than that, you nearly destroyed the bloody world for your own bigoted agenda!"

Anyone else would've been quaking in fear of Jade's anger, but Gabriel just sneered. "Then pass judgment on me now. Let me die for my sins!"

Jade raised the gun and pressed it to Gabriel's forehead. She could do it. Heaven knew how much she wanted to. It would be so easy. Gabriel was like an ant beneath her boot.

"Jade, don't!" said Chas. "He's not worth it!"

"Don't listen to him! Do it!" hissed Gabriel. "Seek revenge. End my life!"

Jade's finger nudged the trigger.

"Jade, _no_ ," said Cheryl, horrified. "Don't do this."

Jade paid no attention to Chas and Cheryl's pleadings.

"Kill me! Pull the trigger! Be the hand of God!" said Gabriel.

It was then that Jade noticed the look in Gabriel's eyes and realized what was happening. Gabriel wasn't calling Jade's bluff. He goading her because he _wanted_ to die to escape his fate and he knew that if Jade murdered a human being, she would be condemned once again and proving Lucifer right and thereby lose any chance she had of ever seeing her daughter again.

"No," said Jade. She put the safety back on the gun and shoved it into her back pocket. It took everything she had not to pull the trigger, but she knew it was the right decision. "Losing my soul's not worth your pathetic excuse for a life, you sad sack of filth. You're nothing now, Gabriel. You're worthless, even as bait."

Jade turned and began walking away with Cheryl and Chas, who patted her on the back and smiled at her, signaling how proud they were of her.

"Deny your true nature today, what of tomorrow, of the tomorrow after that? It is only matter of time before you end up right where you belong! It's who you are, Jade Constantine! Condemned as the Fallen One's Daughter! You know it's true!"

Jade stopped in her tracks, turned around and thrust her hand out, causing Gabriel to be tossed around the room like a rag doll. After Gabriel had crashed into the ceiling lights, the glass windows and then slammed hard onto the concrete floor, Jade released him, only to punch him hard in the face. Gabriel's body lay crumpled on the floor and muck, and his face was contorted with hurt and confusion.

"What…what is this?" he asked, hoarsely.

"That's called pain. Get used to it," said Jade, coldly. "Oh, because I'm feeling merciful, I'm going to give a warning, and if you're smart, you'll heed it. Do yourself a favor and get as far away from me as possible, because the next time I see you, I won't kill you. I'll drag your pathetic hide to perdition and leave you there with no means of escape. Imagine what Lucifer and the rest of perdition's inmates would do to someone like you."

Gabriel's pale face turned to ashen gray. If an angel, former or otherwise, was left powerless and at the mercies of perdition's inmates, it would be similar to trapping an elk in a roomful of hungry lions. He wouldn't last a day in perdition.

"Just keep that in mind, Gabriel, and know that there're fates worse than death in this world," said Jade. "You'll find that _living_ can be the harshest of all pains."

Without waiting for a reply, Jade turned and picked up Barry before she left with Chas and Cheryl without so much as a word. The experience had left her drained in more ways than one and she was ready for a well-deserved rest.

 **One Week Later**

Jade was sitting outside a café, looking healthier and happier than she had been in years, as she sipped a cup of coffee.

For the first time in a long time, Jade's life was good, and not just hers. She'd just gotten off the phone with Barry's parents. It seemed that without demonic influence and with his memory modified, Barry's sanity had returned. He'd become a chatterbox and he'd been allowed to go home, much his family's relief. He was now enjoying a happy, carefree life again.

Jade had also been visited by Manny, who'd informed her that Gemma and Astra had been warmly welcome into heaven and were adjusting to their new lives there. It was hard to tell who was more pleased about that, Jade or Manny.

Gabriel had disappeared. The archangel hadn't been found when the authorities went to check out Ravenscar and he had yet to make an appearance, which was a good thing for him, because Jade hadn't been lying when she'd threatened him.

A newspaper was then thrust down onto her table. The headlines read:

 **Ravenscar Institution Nearly Destroyed In Teenage Prank**

Jade smirked at the agitated look on Cheryl's face.

"Sorry I'm late, but I almost strangled the editor of the newspaper. A teenage prank. The world almost came to end and they're blaming everything that happened on a _teenage prank_. Can you believe it?" said Cheryl, as she sat across from Jade.

After they'd left Ravenscar, the security cameras had mysteriously gone missing along with any evidence of supernatural activity, leaving the authorities to guess as to what had happened. What the authorities had decided on, clearly did not please Cheryl.

Jade chuckled. "Welcome to my word, luv. Lies are easier to swallow than the truth. Besides, it's better this way. Who'd believe that the world was almost obliterated because of my half-brother and an archangel?"

"True," admitted Cheryl. She sighed. "I'm just glad it's over and that Gemma's safe."

Cheryl hadn't been able to prove to the rest of the world that Gemma hadn't taken her own life, but knowing the truth had eased Cheryl's pain greatly and Gemma had been buried a few days earlier with great reverence and respect by the few who did know.

"Yeah, me too." Jade's eyes got misty for a moment as she thought of Astra, finally at peace in heaven where she belonged.

"Hey, you never told me what happened to the Spear of Destiny," said Cheryl. "What're you going to do with it?"

"Well, I don't intend to use it. Something like this is too dangerous to be used, even by me," said Jade. Such power wasn't meant to be wielded by humans for a reason. "And I can't destroy it. Destroying something that powerful would blow a hole in the bloody universe. So, I've got it locked up at the Mill House where no one'll ever find it again."

"Good. So, what happens now?" asked Cheryl. "I mean, are you still headed to New York or do you plan on sticking around for a few more days?"

"Well, much as I've enjoyed this holiday, I really must be off," said Jade. For the past seven days, Jade had been recovering from the confrontation with Mammon and Gabriel and taking a well-deserved break. "Chas will be here soon to take me to the airport. Some nasty creep's popped up on the Scry Map." She'd been enjoying her holiday, but the time had come to return to her work as a demon exorcist.

"Retirement's not on the agenda, then? I would've thought with the Rising Darkness over, you'd settle down," said Cheryl.

Jade snorted. "Hardly. Just because the Rising Darkness business is over, doesn't mean my work is done. There's still a lot of evil sons of bilge rats that need to be put down and if I don't do it, then who will?"

Although the question had come up and though she might've considered it once or twice; a normal apple-pie life with the house, picket fence, nine-to-five job just wasn't for Jade. That ship had sailed a long time ago. Demon hunting, sending scum back to perdition where it belonged, and fighting for the good side, that was the only life that truly suited Jade. The real question was, what was Jade going to do with her life once she'd finished sending every last scumbag demon back to perdition? But she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

Cheryl didn't seem surprised. "Well, if you ever change your mind or if your circumstances change, you know where to find me. There's always room for you at my place."

Jade smiled softly as she squeezed her sister's hand. "Thanks luv, I appreciate it. But enough about me. What about you? Are you absolutely sure going to be okay, after all that's happened?" After everything Cheryl had endured the past couple of days, Jade wouldn't blame her if she took a very long holiday to escape it all. Not to mention, Cheryl was still an amateur in the supernatural business.

Cheryl nodded. "I think so. Corrigan will be coming back from his leave soon, so he can help me if need be and I've got your digits if I need to call you. I'm not running this time. Even if I could, I wouldn't. It's time I stopped hiding in the shadows."

"I'm glad to hear it, Cheryl. I know I gave you a lot of crap about it at first, but the truth is, facing my world's tough. Not everyone's meant for it. It take guts," said Jade. "I'm proud of you."

The sound of a taxi honking caught Jade's attention and she spotted Chas across the street.

"That's my ride. I've got to go," said Jade. "I'll see you around, sis."

Jade stood up, only to have Cheryl stand up and grab her hand.

"Jade…" said Cheryl, hesitantly. "I know we've been fixing things since…well, Gabriel, but there's something else that needs to be said." Since the incident at Ravenscar, the two siblings had had a proper sit down and long chat. Over a lot of tears, angry words and hugs, they'd finally, properly reconciled. "Regardless of who our fathers are, we're sisters. We're family. I don't want to lose you again. So, do you think we can do better this time, keep in touch and not disappear on each other again?"

Jade smiled as she nodded. "Definitely." She held Cheryl in a tight embrace. She'd missed this so much over the last sixteen years and to have it back meant more to her than words could say. "I love you, Cher."

"Love you too, Jadey," said Cheryl.

The two sisters remained like for a few moments longer before breaking apart and going their separate ways. Jade slid into the passenger seat of Chas's taxi and felt the familiar urge for a smoke. But instead of pulling out a cigarette, Jade decided not to tempt fate. She pulled out a pack of nicotine gum and began chewing on a piece.

 _Some people are born to make a difference. It took me dying to accept that. God does work in mysterious ways. But just because some people like it, doesn't mean all do. Some people, like me, don't._

— _J.C._

 **The End**


End file.
